Six RAF Typhoons scrambled to intercept Russian bombers approaching UK airspace

Six RAF fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian bombers on Saturday after they tried to enter British airspace, the Ministry of Defence says.

An undisclosed number of Tupolev Tu-95 Bears, Russian aircraft used as strategic bombers and maritime patrol planes, headed towards northwest Scotland. 

The RAF deployed two pairs of Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth near Moray and a third pair from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to force them to change course.  

A Voyager tanker was also deployed from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. 

The RAF said: ‘This was a routine response to Russian aircraft approaching UK airspace and was co-ordinated with several other NATO allies.’

RAF Lossiemouth tweeted: ‘At no point did these aircraft enter UK sovereign airspace. The Russian aircraft were shadowed by our Typhoons, along with (Quick Reaction Alert) aircraft from our @NATO partners in Norway and France.’  

Last April, Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth were scrambled twice in five days to prevent Russian military planes entering UK airspace. In the same period, jets from RAF Coningsby were also deployed to a separate incident involving Russian aircraft.

That summer, RAF fighter jets participating in NATO mission Operation Azotize were deployed several times to see off Russian planes encroaching on Estonian airspace.  

All these incidents come amid heightened tensions between London and Moscow, after Russian GRU agents used chemical weapons in Salisbury in 2018. 

The RAF deployed two pairs of Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth near Moray and a third pair from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire (pictured, Russian Tupolev Tu-142 aircraft intercepted by Typhoon aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Coningsby)