Footage of the moment RAF typhoon jets escorted Russian planes from UK 'area of interest' has been released.
Yesterday, February 2, four Russian planes entered the 'area of interest' off the coast of Scotland.
RAF Typhoon jets quickly responded to the incident, taking off from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland.
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The footage shows the Typhoons taking off before greeting the four Russian planes, which included two Tu-95 Bear H bombers and two Tu-142 Bear F aircrafts.
The planes have a stand-off in mid air for a while, before the RAF aircraft escort the Russian planes away.
The footage ends with the planes landing.
In a statement relating to the incident, the RAF said, 'We intercepted and escorted four Russian Bear aircraft. Our Typhoon fighters escorted the Russian aircraft out of the UK’s area of interest. At no time did the Russian bombers enter UK sovereign airspace.'
While the area that the Russian planes entered is not part of UK airspace and includes international airspace, the UK is responsible for policing it.
The incident came shortly before Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were scheduled to have a call about the developing situation in Ukraine.
The call was initially due to take place on January 31, but it was pushed back after Johnson was called to the House of Commons to respond to the release of the Sue Gray report.
Speaking before the call, Johnson said, 'We have been helping to bring the west together to defy what I think is completely unacceptable threats and intimidation from the Putin regime against Ukraine.'
In relation to the phone call, No. 10 said, 'The prime minister expressed his deep concern about Russia’s current hostile activity on the Ukrainian border. He emphasised the need to find a way forward which respects both Ukraine’s territorial integrity and right to self-defence.'
It added, 'The prime minister stressed that any further Russian incursion into Ukrainian territory would be a tragic miscalculation.'
It was also expressed in the statement that Johnson held firm on NATO's decision to leave the door open for Ukraine to enter the alliance, something Russia had previously asked be rescinded.
During the conversation, Putin and Johnson were said to have agreed that they had in the past co-operated on situations in Iran and Afghanistan, as well as climate change.
No. 10 said the countries need to 'apply this spirit of dialogue to the current tensions in order to find a peaceful resolution' to the current situation at the Russia-Ukraine border.
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Topics: Vladimir Putin, Boris Johnson, World News, UK News, Russia
Shola Lee