Russia scrambled a fighter jet on Monday to intercept and escort two NATO aircraft over the Baltic Sea when they attempted to “violate” its airspace.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the Su-27 fighter jet intercepted and escorted a German P-3C Orion patrol plane and a French navy’s Atlantique 2 anti-submarine patrol aircraft.
“After turning the foreign military planes away from the Russian Federation state border, the Russian fighter (jet) returned safely to its airbase,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The flight of the Russian fighter was carried out in strict accordance with international rules on the use of airspace over neutral waters.”
The ministry said the Su-27 conducted the mission “without crossing air routes or making dangerous rapprochement with an aircraft of a foreign state.”
The Russian Defense Ministry also said it had, for the first time, downed a long-range Storm Shadow missile supplied to Ukraine by Britain. It also shot down a shorter-range US-built high-speed anti-radiation missile (HARM) on Monday.
Britain is the first country to publicly supply Ukraine with the long-range cruise missiles, with a range “in excess of 250 kilometers,” according to the manufacturer, European arms group MBDA.
Russia has already warned Britain should expect “an adequate response from our army” if it provides the missiles to Ukraine.
On Saturday, Russia's Defense Ministry said Ukraine used Storm Shadow missiles to strike two industrial sites in the Russian-controlled city of Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine.
Russia has been in war with Ukraine since February 2022. Ever since, the West has supplied Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars’ worth of weapons, including rocket systems, drones, armored vehicles, tanks, and communication systems despite Russia's repeated warnings that the Western military assistance will only prolong the conflict.