Two Russian jets “repeatedly and dangerously” intercepted a British Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft in April 2026 over the Black Sea, according to the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence. The Rivet Joint aircraft was unarmed and carrying out routine surveillance in international airspace over the Black Sea, securing NATO’s eastern flank, the ministry said in a May 2026 statement. “This incident is another example of dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots, towards an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace,” Defence Minister John Healey said in the May 20 statement. “These actions create a serious risk of accidents and potential escalation,” he added.
The British spy plane repeatedly was intercepted by a Russian Su-35 aircraft, which flew close enough to trigger emergency systems on the U.K. plane. A Russian Su-27 conducted six passes, flying 6 meters from the Rivet Joint’s nose. Defense and foreign ministry officials formally complained to the Russian embassy about the incident, the statement added. It said the incident was the most dangerous Russian action against a U.K. surveillance plane since 2022, when a nearby Russian plane released a missile over the Black Sea, in what Moscow later called a technical malfunction.
The intercepts came days after Healey announced that the Royal Navy had tracked and “seen off” three Russian submarines on an alleged monthlong “covert operation” in Atlantic waters “north of the UK” near vital undersea cables and pipelines. Healey made details of the monitoring operation public on April 9. “Let me be very clear: This incident will not deter the U.K.’s commitment to defend NATO, our allies and our interests from Russian aggression,” he warned in May after the Black Sea incident.
The British monitoring mission involved about 500 personnel and saw U.K. aircraft fly more than 450 hours while a navy frigate covered several thousand nautical miles. A defense review in 2025 concluded that Russia poses an “immediate and pressing” threat to the nation.