The UK has applied to fly a British RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft along a route that also runs over Russian territory. The Russian Defense Ministry said on August 16 that they viewed this as a deliberate provocation.
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It is noted that in connection with this, the Aerospace Forces (VKS) of Russia were tasked with preventing violations of the airspace of the Russian Federation.
“All possible consequences from this deliberate provocation will lie solely on the side of the UK,” the department concluded.
The day before, a British RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft violated the air border of the Russian Federation near Cape Svyatoy Nos on the coast of the Kola Peninsula in the Murmansk region. The MiG-31 rose to intercept the planes, which forced out the British side.
Commenting on the incident, Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Head of the International Committee of the Federation Council, noted that this was an attempt to test Moscow’s reaction.
Russian Senator Sergei Tsekov, in turn, noted that the borders of the Russian Federation are reliably protected and intrusions of foreign aircraft will always be suppressed.
Before that, on July 27, it became known that a NATO strategic reconnaissance aircraft approached the Russian borders. Part of the flight of the aircraft took place with the transponder turned off, which indicates the suppression of the aircraft’s systems by means of electronic warfare or an attempt by the crew to hide their presence.