UK jets dispatched to intercept Russian planes near its airspace
Britain's Ministry of Defense says it dispatched two fighter jets from an airbase in Scotland to intercept two Russian planes that approached its airspace.
The ministry said in a statement on Saturday that two Typhoon aircraft were scrambled from Lossiemouth Royal Air Force base in north east Scotland on Saturday morning.
The jets were dispatched “as part of the RAF's Quick Reaction Alert in response to two Russian aircraft entering the UK's airspace," said the statement. “Both aircraft have now returned safely to RAF Lossiemouth."
The air force also scrambled an Airbus Voyager KC3 tanker from Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The tanker was tracked heading north before going into a holding pattern off the Aberdeenshire coast.
It was not the first time that Britain scrambled its jets to intercept Russian planes which usually pass near UK airspace.
Back in February, British aircraft were sent to monitor two Russian bombers near the UK's airspace.
The Royal Air Force said at the time that the Tupolev TU-160 Blackjacks were in the UK's “area of interest” but did not enter British territory.
NATO has increased the intercept of Russian aircraft in recent years due to heightened tensions between the Kremlin and the West over the Ukrainian crisis.
UK government says Israel arms ban would 'undermine US confidence'
Yemen’s Sa’ada, ‘Amran targeted in fresh US, UK aerial assaults
US, UK warplanes pound Yemeni capital Sana’a, other regions
Hezbollah attacks Israeli forces after Lebanese homes blown up
World leaders, states hail ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant
MP: US accountable for possible Israeli 'foolishness' to attack Iraq
VIDEO | Israeli policies strangle Palestinian agriculture, economy
Iran's president offers condolences to Pakistan over terrorist attack
Canada’s Yukon town council at standstill over refusing oath to King Charles
Yemen's Houthi calls for jihad to protect Palestine against Israel
VIDEO | Internal rifts within Israel
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
