NATO fighter jets intercept Russian warplanes over the Black Sea
Two RAF Typhoon fighter jets were launched over the Black Sea in response to two Russian aircraft flying in NATO airspace on August 25, the press service of the Royal Air Forces reports on Facebook.
"Launching from their Romanian Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, the Typhoons responded to a Russian AN-26 and then a Be-12 heading over the Black Sea.
It’s the third time this week that RAF jets, on NATO’s Air Policing mission, have been scrambled to deter provocative Russian aircraft and reassure Romania and NATO allies," the statement reads
On August 22, British fighter jets were launched to intercept a Russian Su-30 over the Black Sea. The next day, a Eurofighter Typhoon intercepted a Russian Be-12 as well.
The mission of the British Royal Air Forces in Romania is part of NATO’s security measures introduced in 2014. The Alliance began implementing these confidence-building measures in a show of NATO's collective determination protective measures.
At the beginning of the year, an American Lockheed Martin P3-Orion maritime surveillance aircraft had to interrupt its mission over the Black Sea due to aggressive actions of a Russian Su-27 fighter jet. The jet flew up to the Orion and approached it at a distance of one and a half meters. For 2 hours and 40 minutes, the Russian fighter was interfering with the flight of the P3-Orion, carrying out dangerous maneuvers.