Russian jets dangerously intercepted an unarmed RAF Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea, the British Ministry of Defence said, calling the manoeuvres unacceptable.
The UK said a Russian Su-35 and Su-27 were involved in the encounter while the Royal Air Force aircraft was conducting a routine international flight. The Guardian reported that the Su-27 flew within about six metres of the British aircraft at high speed.
The Ministry of Defence said the Su-35 came close enough to trigger emergency protocols and shut down the RAF plane’s autopilot. The Su-27 flew about 19ft from the aircraft.
🇷🇺🇬🇧Russian military jets intercept UK Royal Air Force aircraft conducting NATO mission over the Black Sea. pic.twitter.com/zZgwkaMIvt
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinkle) May 21, 2026Defence Secretary John Healey praised the RAF crew for “outstanding professionalism” and said the flybys showed “dangerous and unacceptable behaviour” by Russian pilots.
The UK said it would continue supporting North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies despite what it described as increasingly hostile Russian activity. The aircraft was operating as part of the UK’s work with allies to help secure NATO’s eastern flank, according to LBC.
The Ministry of Defence described the incident as the most dangerous involving a British Rivet Joint since September 2022, when a Russian fighter fired a missile near an RAF aircraft over the Black Sea.
Read: Russian Drones Near Romania Put NATO Jets on Alert
The Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office have called on the Russian embassy to condemn the latest incident.
