RAF jets were scrambled twice yesterday to intercept Russian aircraft heading for and inside British airspace.
Tornado fighters had already been sent up on Tuesday to meet two bombers approaching Britain from a Russian base in the Arctic Circle. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said it was “rare and unusual” for three incidents to follow so closely.
The aerial tensions come amid titfortat expulsions of diplomats following the Kremlin’s refusal to extradite radiation murder suspect Andrei Lugovoy. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said last night he wanted to see a return to “normal relations” with Britain.
But the arrival in yesterday’s early hours of the Tupolev aircraft - also known as Bears - suggests president Vladimir Putin is not backing down. Two Tornados were scrambled from RAF Leeming, near Darlington, after two Tu95 bombers were picked up on radar. They were intercepted inside British airspace shortly after 2am but, with the RAF pilots on their tail, the intruders turned and flew north.
The aerial tensions come amid titfortat expulsions of diplomats following the Kremlin’s refusal to extradite radiation murder suspect Andrei Lugovoy. ==
The constitution of Russia forbids to extradite the citizen to the foreign power. Same as for American Constitution.