Russian fighter jets were scrambled after two UK warplanes were detected near the country’s border, Moscow has claimed.
In a statement, the country’s ministry of defence claimed that the RAF fighter jets made a U-turn as its aircraft approached – and Russia’s state border was not violated.
It said the two Typhoon jets were spotted over the Black Sea and were accompanied by an RC-135 reconnaissance plane, which is used by both the RAF and the US Air Force.
“The flight by the Russian fighter jets was carried out in strict compliance with the international rules for the use of airspace over international waters without crossing air routes or coming dangerously close to aircraft of a foreign state,” it added.
Sky News has approached the UK’s Ministry of Defence for a comment.