RAF Typhoon fighter jets have been scrambled to intercept Russian planes as they approached UK airspace this morning – the latest in a series of provocations by Moscow.
Royal Air Force Typhoons took off from the Lossiemouth airbase, north east Scotland, just before 9.30am.
A spokesman said: “We can confirm that quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth scrambled this morning, this is a live operation and therefore we will not be providing any additional information until the mission is complete.”
The operation is currently “ongoing” and the type of Russian plane has not yet been confirmed.
Figures released in 2016 revealed RAF fighter jets had been scrambled almost once a month to intercept Russian military planes flying close to UK airspace.
Between 2010 and 2015, 102 incidents of Quick Response Aircraft being launched were recorded by the MoD.
The data showed around half – 52 – of these were in response to Vladimir Putin’s air force flying near British territory.
