Yesterday, a Russian MiG-31 fighter aircraft conducted a “unsafe near pass” of a Royal Air Force (RAF) surveillance plane, the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) said, after Moscow claimed the RAF plane had violated Russian airspace.
On Monday, the RAF spyplane flew over the Norwegian and Barents seas on a flight route that brought it near to Russian territory, but at no time did it breach Russian airspace.
The Ministry of Defense also informed MailOnline that Moscow had been properly briefed on the RC-135 spyplane’s flight plan well in advance, and that the aircraft’s crew maintained radio contact with Russian civilian air traffic control during its journey.
The Russian defense ministry, however, refused to accept what it deemed a “intrusion” and sent the MiG-31, which it said “expelled the invader.”
The Kremlin said, “We see this move as a premeditated provocation,” adding that the Russian air force had been ordered to “prevent the breach of Russian territory.”
All potential repercussions of this premeditated provocation would fall solely on the British government, the ministry stated in a statement.
A reconnaissance aircraft crossed Russia’s state boundary at Cape Svyatoy Nos…
‘Those who give such ridiculous and aggressive instructions seem to have forgotten that a British warship intruded into Russian territorial waters and was halted by our border guards.
I am certain that any incursions will be met with an acceptable reaction.
Today, a MoD official informed MailOnline: On Monday, August 15, a Russian MIG-31 fighter executed a hazardous near pass of a Royal Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft conducting normal operations in international airspace over the Norwegian and Barents Seas.
The British aircraft was in contact with Russian air traffic control, and its crew operated safely and professionally. The Ministry of Defense denied that RAF aircraft ever crossed Russian airspace, adding that the RAF aircraft returned safely to its UK base.
Russia did not immediately provide video of the supposed time the RAF jet entered its territory at the remote Cape Svyatoy Nos in the Murmansk area, as it claimed.
Instead, it included a video of an apparently unrelated MiG-31BM and Su-34 training exercise from the Perm area.
The claimed British invasion was shown on official television stations during news broadcasts. The Rossiya 1 station reported, “Now an urgent report from the Defense Ministry.” Over the Barents Sea, a British RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft crossed Russia’s sovereign boundary.
“Air defense personnel on duty spotted an unidentified aerial target.” A MiG-31BM was sent to intercept it. Its crew expelled the invader from our airspace over Cape Svyatoy Nos.
Russian media referred to the RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft as a “radioelectronic warfare aircraft.”
A chart depicted the alleged flight path of the British aircraft from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire to the Arctic.
The coastline of the Murmansk area has the headquarters of Russia’s Northern Fleet and many covert military installations.
It also has sites for testing Vladimir Putin’s hypersonic weaponry.
According to Russian sources, NATO aircraft seldom ‘breach’ Russian airspace.
Russia has previously accused the United Kingdom of violating its territory, a claim that was contested by the British Defense Ministry.
The Russians could not present any tangible proof of an airborne boundary violation.
