Russian Jets Intercept British Spy Plane Over Black Sea

Russian Su-27 and Su-35 fighter jets intercepted a British RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft flying over the Black Sea, according to Military Watch Magazine. On May 20, the British Ministry of Defense released footage of the encounter, showing an Su-35 maneuvering close to the British plane, which triggered its emergency systems and caused the autopilot to disengage. The report further states that an Su-27 subsequently made six passes directly in front of the RC-135, approaching within six meters of its nose.

The RC-135W is a specialized platform designed to gather intelligence from radar and signal sources, including the detection of adversary command and control systems. Journalists noted that these assets are especially critical given Ukraine's limited capacity for independent intelligence gathering.

This incident follows other recent events involving reconnaissance operations in the region. On April 29, an Italian Armed Forces reconnaissance drone launched from the Sigonella base in Sicily reached the Black Sea three hours later before transmitting a distress code 7600, indicating a radio equipment malfunction, and returning to base. Earlier still, a Swedish reconnaissance aircraft was detected operating near the Russian border.