FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A Russian fighter jet flew just six meters away from a British Royal Air Force (RAF) spy plane, which was flying at around 800 kilometers per hour over the Black Sea.
The incident was one of two mid-air collisions last month, which British Defense Secretary John Healey described as "dangerous and unacceptable."
According to British authorities, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet made six close passes over a British Rivet Joint fighter jet, passing right in front of it in mid-April and risking a collision that could have caused a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
In another incident in mid-April, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet came so close to a British plane that it activated emergency safety systems, including an automatic pilot shutdown. The British plane was conducting a surveillance mission in international airspace.
The Rivet Joint is a specialized electronic espionage aircraft, with a crew of up to 30 and advanced surveillance capabilities at a range of about 240 kilometers. The aircraft was monitoring Russian activities as part of NATO patrols.
“This incident is another example of dangerous and unacceptable behavior by Russian pilots toward an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace,” Healey said. “These actions create a serious risk of accident and potential escalation.”
The British Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday that this is the most dangerous incident against a British Rivet Joint aircraft since 2022, when a Russian aircraft fired a missile over the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, Russia has increased its military activity in Europe. In Lithuania, politicians took refuge in bunkers on Wednesday and air traffic at Vilnius airport was temporarily suspended after a drone entered the country's airspace.
A day earlier, the Russian ambassador to the UN said Moscow had information that Ukraine was planning to launch military drones from Latvia and other Baltic states. Latvia rejected the claims, calling them “pure fiction.”
Last month, two Russian frigates escorted oil tankers and a suspected arms shipment through the North Sea and the Strait of Dover, prompting the British Royal Navy to conduct a month-long surveillance operation.
Healey also revealed that Britain had tracked three Russian submarines that stayed near critical underwater infrastructure in the North Atlantic for a month before they left.
“I want to pay tribute to the professionalism and extraordinary courage of the RAF crew, who continued their mission despite these dangerous actions,” Healey said. “I want to be very clear: this incident will not deter the UK’s commitment to defending NATO, our allies and our interests from Russian aggression.”
Ia pa dhia deles e i tha, ta pashe. Po, i tha delja, une ta shoh gjithe diten e nuk te them gje e ti nje here ma pe e ve ulurimat. Pislleqet e Ruseve nuk kane te sosur ndaj Britanise e perdite shkelin hapesira ajrore e detare por xhinsi nuk behet kurre mzhlla, mzhlla, mzhlla.