Russian aircraft enter British airspace, Typhoon jets scrambled from Scotland to intercept

Two Typhoon jets were launched from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland on Saturday after an incursion by Russian jets.

"Two Typhoons were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth this morning as part of the RAF’s Quick Reaction Alert in response to two Russian aircraft entering the UK’s airspace” the MoD said in a statement.

"Both aircraft have now returned safely to RAF Lossiemouth.”

A Voyager tanker was also been deployed from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

Typhoons were also sent to monitor two Russian Tupolev TU-160 Blackjack bombers, which passed near UK airspace in February.

Earlier in the month HMS Somerset shadowed a Russian submarine as it passed through the English Channel.

The Plymouth-based ship located the Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine Krasnodar in the early hours as it sailed past the eastern coast of the UK.

HMS Somerset, a Type 23 frigate, then followed her through the Dover Strait and the rest of the English Channel over the weekend.

Commander Tim Berry, the Commanding Officer of HMS Somerset, said:

"Policing the sea both in home waters and further afield is core business for the Royal Navy.Escorting foreign warships, in this case a Russian submarine, through UK waters is just part of our ongoing effort to protect our island nation.”