RAF Typhoons head off Russian jets over Black Sea

♦ RAF Typhoon fighters have been scrambled twice in two weeks to intercept Russian aircraft approaching Nato airspace over the Black Sea.

Jets based in Romania have had to respond four times to threatened incursions since deploying to the region on a fourmonth tour of duty in May. The jets had to respond only once to similar threats on the 2017 deployment.

In the latest incident, RAF Typhoons launched in response to two suspected Russian SU-30 Flanker aircraft heading towards Nato airspace from Crimea.

An RAF spokesman said the aircraft were “repeating the recently seen activity in the air”. Mihai Fifor, the Romanian defence minister, said such “provocations” had become “frequent”.

Julian Lewis, chairman of the Commons Defence Select Committee, said he was concerned by the number of Russian sorties.

“It is clear that the Russians are testing us, both in the air and at sea,” he said.