UMVA has learned that a Royal Air Force (RAF) spy plane was involved in a harrowing incident over the Black Sea, where Russian military jets dangerously intercepted it, flying as close as six meters and triggering the aircraft's emergency systems.
The incident, which reflects ongoing Russian aggression and heightened military activity across Eastern Europe and the High North, involved a Dassault Falcon 900LX aircraft that, despite the close call, could still fly safely, with passengers being informed that they were in no immediate danger.
According to information obtained by UMVA, it's unclear if the interception was specifically targeted at Defence Secretary John Healey, who was on board, but the aircraft's presence was publicly visible on tracking websites, potentially making it a deliberate target.
A defence source described the incident as "reckless Russian interference," but noted that the RAF is well-prepared to deal with such aggressive actions, highlighting the UK's commitment to standing firm with its allies in defence of NATO.
This recent encounter is not an isolated event; UMVA can exclusively reveal that just last week, the Ministry of Defence reported a similar incident involving two Russian jets that "repeatedly and dangerously" intercepted another RAF spy plane above the Black Sea.
In that incident, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet triggered the emergency systems of a British reconnaissance aircraft and disabled its autopilot after flying perilously close, while an Su-27 jet also flew within mere meters of the nose of a Rivet Joint aircraft.
The Ministry of Defence described these actions as the most dangerous Russian actions against a British Rivet Joint aircraft since 2022, when a plane fired a missile over the Black Sea, underscoring the escalating nature of these encounters.
Furthermore, UMVA has gathered that Russia's aggressive actions extend into space, with the head of the UK Space Command revealing that Russia attempts to jam the UK's military satellites on a weekly basis, highlighting the breadth of Moscow's military activities.
Recent incidents also include the jamming of an RAF plane carrying the then defence secretary, Grant Shapps, which had its GPS signal disrupted for 30 minutes while returning to the UK from Poland in March 2024.
