A Russian Su-27 fighter jet almost deliberately crashed into a US military plane, narrowly avoiding a mid-air collision.
Around 11 similar acts of aggression have been recorded recently and it is believed that the incidents are intended to provoke a military confrontation between Russia and the West according to the European Leadership Network (ELN) security group.
Express.co.uk reports:
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The ELN found that a Russian spy plane had its tracker turned off when it nearly collided with an SAS passenger plane.
“A collision was apparently avoided thanks only to good visibility and the alertness of the passenger plane pilots,” the agency stated in a report.
A Ministry of Defence (MOD) said: “RAF Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon fighter aircraft were launched today from RAF Lossiemouth after unidentified aircraft were tracked flying towards UK airspace.
“The aircraft were identified as Russian Bear aircraft which were escorted by the RAF Typhoon fighters until they were out of the UK area of interest.”
On Wednesday, a Russian spy plane was spotted hovering close to Estonia.
The MoD confirmed the plane was successfully intercepted by RAF jets on behalf of NATO over the Gulf of Finland just before lunchtime.
In April, Typhoons out of Lossiemouth again intercepted Bear bombers flying near UK airspace just hours after the Royal Navy deployed a ship to monitor a destroyer in the English channel.
