Russia: Military Aircraft
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled RAF aircraft dangerously intercepted by Russian jets over Black Sea, published on 20 May 2026, how many other instances of dangerous Russian interception of RAF aircraft have occurred in the Black Sea since 2020.
Answered by Al Carns
UK RIVET JOINT aircraft routinely operate in international airspace around the world, including in the Black Sea. Since 2020 there have been three instances of unsafe intercepts by Russian aircraft during Black Sea operations, including the September 2022 incident in which a Russian plane fired a missile in the vicinity of UK RIVET JOINT. Following each incident, the Ministry of Defence has strongly condemned Russia's reckless actions which put in danger the lives of UK personnel.
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