LONDON — Britain on Wednesday scrambled Typhoon fighter jets to see off Russian military planes flying close to its airspace off the coast of Scotland, a spokeswoman from the Defense Ministry said.
"There were unidentified aircraft flying near the north of Scotland," the spokeswoman said, adding that Britain's Royal Air Force had later identified them as Russian.
"They were flying in international airspace at all times, they did not go into British sovereign airspace," she added, saying there had been eight similar incidents in 2013.
Local media reported there were two Russian planes, believed to be Tupolev Tu-95s, which had turned away and flown towards Scandinavia after being contacted by the British jets.
Defense experts says Russia uses such surveillance flights to remind the world of its military might and to probe other countries' air defense systems.
See also:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
