Scoopfeeds — Intelligent news, curated.
Why Russian jets intercepting an RAF spy plane is 'serious incident'
international

Why Russian jets intercepting an RAF spy plane is 'serious incident'

BBC World · May 20, 2026, 9:46 PM · Also reported by 2 other sources

Key takeaways

  • Two Russian warplanes "dangerously" intercepted an unarmed RAF spy plane over the Black Sea last month, the Ministry of Defence has said on Wednesday.
  • A Russian Su-35 fighter approached the surveillance aircraft - close enough to trigger its emergency systems - while a Su-27 jet carried out six passes in front of it.
  • The Mo D said the Rivet Joint had been conducting a routine international flight to aid in securing Nato's eastern flank.

Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.

Two Russian warplanes "dangerously" intercepted an unarmed RAF spy plane over the Black Sea last month, the Ministry of Defence has said on Wednesday.

A Russian Su-35 fighter approached the surveillance aircraft - close enough to trigger its emergency systems - while a Su-27 jet carried out six passes in front of it.

The Mo D said the Rivet Joint had been conducting a routine international flight to aid in securing Nato's eastern flank.

Article preview — originally published by BBC World. Full story at the source.
Read full story on BBC World → More top stories

Also covered by

Aggregated and edited by the Scoop newsroom. We surface news from BBC World alongside other reporting so you can compare coverage in one place. Editorial policy · Corrections · About Scoop