A Russian fighter plane released a missile near an unarmed British spy plane patrolling international air space over the Black Sea on September 29, UK defence minister Ben Wallace said, in an incident that Russia later blamed on a “technical malfunction”.
Speaking to parliament, Wallace said the UK Rivet Joint electronic surveillance plane was shadowed by two SU-27 aircraft, “which is not unusual” except that this time one of the Russian planes “released a missile in the vicinity of the Rivet Joint, beyond visual range”.
Wallace said he had suspended the patrols and raised the issue with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu, who replied on October 10 that the incident took place in international air space and, following an investigation, that it was due to a malfunction.
The UK patrols have since resumed, except with fighter aircraft escorts, Wallace said, adding that the incident “will not prevent the United Kingdom’s support for Ukraine”.
The incident took place shortly after the mysterious explosion of two Russian gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.