26 April 2023 , 07:53
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The moment a British warplane intercepted a Russian spy jet has been caught on camera, with several images of the aircraft mid-flight.
Germany and Britain sent Eurofighter jets to identify the two Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft and one Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft, the German air force said on Twitter.
"Reconnaissance flights intercepted. German and British Eurofighters were alerted to identify three military aircraft. The two SU-27 Flankers and an IL-20 from Russia were flying again without transponder signals in international airspace over the Baltic Sea", said the air force.
As a NATO member, Germany participates in monitoring the air space over the Baltic states.
The two SU-27 Flankers and a IL-20 from Russia were flying again without transponder signals (@Team_Luftwaffe/Twitter)Security has been heightened for the Baltic states after Russia invaded Ukraine last year.
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Russian military jets have repeatedly strayed into the airspace over the Baltic Sea in recent months.
Last month, another Russian aircraft was intercepted by British RAF and German fighter jets after it was identified near NATO airspace.
The Ministry of Defence said it was a "routine" NATO mission and said its Typhoon pilot from the RAF's Bomber Squadron, said: "As a fighter pilot this was a routine business, even though I was flying alongside a German colleague."
The pilot said they had identified and monitored the Russian jet as it "transited close to NATO airspace".
Given it hadn't communicated with air traffic control, they intercepted it to ensure they knew "who they [were] and [to] maintain flight safety for all airspace users".
In another instance, a Russian fighter jet collided with a US drone.
America accused the jet of "recklessly" crashing into its drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea and Russia denied involvement, with a senior figure describing the episode as a "provocation".
Britain's armed forces minister James Heappey said: "NATO continues to form the bedrock of our collective security.
"This joint UK and German deployment in the Baltics clearly demonstrates our collective resolve to challenge any potential threat to NATO's borders, whilst demonstrating our combined strength."