Russian jets intercept British surveillance plane over Black Sea

Two Russian jets repeatedly and dangerously intercepted a British surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea last month, the defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Defense Minister John Healey said the incident showed dangerous and unacceptable behavior by Russian pilots toward an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace. He said the actions created a serious risk of accidents and potential escalation.

The incident comes as relations between the two countries remain at a historic low over the Ukraine war and longstanding spying allegations.

The Russian Su-35 and Su-27 jets intercepted the Royal Air Force Rivet Joint aircraft last month. The Su-27 flew as close as six meters to the British plane's nose, the statement said, along with a 12-second video of the incident.

The surveillance aircraft was taking part in a routine flight in international airspace as part of the U.K.'s work alongside allies to secure NATO's Eastern Flank.

Officials said the encounter was the most serious involving a U.K. Rivet Joint since 2022. In that case, a Russian aircraft fired a missile near a British plane over the same region.

One Russian Su-35 aircraft flew close enough to trigger emergency systems on the Rivet Joint, including disabling the autopilot system, the ministry said. In another dangerous intercept, a Russian Su-27 aircraft conducted six passes in front of the British aircraft.

Healey said the incident would not deter the UK's commitment to defend NATO, its allies and its interests from Russian aggression.

The intercepts came days after Healey announced that the Royal Navy had tracked and seen off three Russian submarines on an alleged month-long covert operation in Atlantic waters north of the U.K. near vital undersea cables and pipelines. Healey made details of the monitoring operation public on April 9.

He warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that any attempt to damage U.K. cables and pipelines would have serious consequences.

The U.K. monitoring mission involved around 500 personnel and saw U.K. aircraft fly more than 450 hours while a navy frigate covered several thousand nautical miles.

A defense review last year concluded that Russia poses an immediate and pressing threat to the nation.

The British government under successive prime ministers has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine following Moscow's February 2022 invasion.

Defense and foreign ministry officials this week formally complained to the Russian embassy about the air incident, the statement added.

The interception marks the latest military incident between the two countries. In December 2025, the British navy said it tracked a Russian submarine navigating through the English Channel for three days. That same month, the U.K. and Norway signed a cooperation agreement to jointly operate a fleet of frigates to hunt down submarines in the North Atlantic.

In November 2025, Healey said a Russian spy ship pointed lasers at Royal Air Force pilots tracking its activity near U.K. waters. Britain said the ship was being used for gathering intelligence and mapping undersea cables.