Britain’s defense secretary reported Thursday that a Russian fighter jet launched a missile near a Royal Air Force aircraft, which was operating in international airspace over the Black Sea last month.
Likewise, Ben Wallace told the House of Commons that an unarmed RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint spy plane “interacted” with two Russian SU-27 planes. One of the fighter planes “dropped a missile in the vicinity of” the British plane beyond visual range, he explained.
Although it is not unusual for planes to be pursued in international airspace, Wallace mentioned that he had suspended the flights and demanded an explanation from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
“The Russian defense minister’s response on October 10 was that they have made a investigation of the circumstances of the incident and that it was a technical malfunction of the aircraft SU-27 fighter jet,” Wallace told lawmakers. “They further acknowledged that the incident occurred in international airspace.”
Finally, Wallace pointed out that the flights have been restored, but they are now accompanied by fighter jets.