LONDON: The Dutch Defense Ministry and the British Royal Air Force said they scrambled fighter jets on Monday when Russian bombers were tracked flying toward the airspace of the Netherlands and off Scotland, respectively. The pair of Russian warplanes spotted in each location were flying in international airspace.
Britain’s Royal Air Force said two Typhoon fighters were launched from Lossiemouth to monitor the Russian bombers as they flew north of the Shetland Islands off Scotland. The Russian Tu-142 Bear-F and Tu-142 Bear-J, which are used for maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare, were in airspace that is part of NATO’s northern air policing area, the UK Defense Ministry said.
Russian aircraft entering the UK’s zone of international airspace can pose a hazard to other planes because they often don’t communicate with air traffic control or broadcast their coordinates, the military said.
This photo released on Aug. 14, 2023 by the Ministry of Defense shows one of the two Russian Tupolev long-range maritime patrol bombers as they transited north of the Shetland Islands within NATO's northern air policing area. (AP)
The Typhoons stayed with the Russian planes until they were out of the UK’s area of interest, according to a statement from the lead pilot, who wasn’t named.
Denmark’s air force said its fighter jets identified the Russian bombers flying over the Baltic Sea toward the Netherlands. The Dutch Defense Ministry said it then scrambled two of its own F-16 fighters.
“This doesn’t happen often, but today’s incident demonstrates the importance of rapid deployment,” the ministry said. “The F-16s are on standby 24 hours a day and can take off within minutes and intercept an unidentified aircraft.”
British and German fighter jets were sent up in mid-March to intercept a Russian aircraft flying close to Estonian airspace, officials said at the time. The day before, the US had said a Russian fighter jet struck a US surveillance drone over the Black Sea.
Russia insisted its warplanes didn’t hit the MQ-9 Reaper drone, arguing the drone had maneuvered sharply and crashed into the water. The back-to-back incidents raised concerns about aerial standoffs near Russia and Ukraine
The Kremlin’s forces have pummeled Odesa since Russia last month broke off a wartime deal to protect Ukraine’s crucial grain exports. The Russian attacks appear aimed at facilities that transport grain and also at wrecking cherished Ukrainia historical sites.
