14 August 2023

Snip

RAF Typhoons have intercepted Russian bombers flying north of Scotland after jets scrambled across Europe amid a series of aerial confrontations between Russian and Western fleets.

The Royal Air force pilots launched at a moment’s notice on Monday to intercept a pair of long-range maritime Russian bombers near the Shetland Islands, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The Russian planes were moving through NATO’s northern air policing area at the time.

The two Typhoon jets were launched from Lossiemouth in northeast Scotland, one of the air force’s two Quick Reaction Alert [QRA] stations where fighter pilots are on constant standby.

British interceptions of Russian warplanes and vice versa are not uncommon, with similar incidents taking place in November 2021 and as recently as June 2023.

The incident came as Denmark intercepted two Russian bombers flying over its airspace while Russia claimed that it scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to prevent a “violation” of its border by a Norwegian military patrol aircraft.

The Russian planes were flying towards the area that the Netherlands monitors for the NATO military alliance, the Dutch Royal Airforce said, before being intercepted. Dutch F-16s had been called into action but were not required after the bombers were turned back before they could enter the country’s airspace.
‘When the alarm happened... the adrenaline kicked in’

It was unclear on Monday evening whether all three of the incidents, the likes of which have become increasingly common since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, involved the same Russian aircraft.

More:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/08/14/russia-ukraine-war-latest-ship-missiles-kherson/