After it was detected in NATO airspace, a Russian plane was intercepted by the British RAF and German fighter aircrafts.

After the aircraft failed to communicate with Estonian airtraffic control, close to NATO’s airspace, two Typhoon jets reacted – one British and one German.

It was described by the Ministry of Defence as a “routine” NATO mission.

A Typhoon pilot from RAF’s Bomber Squadron confirmed this. He was not identified by the MOD but said that it was routine flying as a fighter pilot, even though he was flying with a German colleague.

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Pilot said that they had detected and tracked the Russian aircraft as it “transited near NATO airspace”.

Because it wasn’t communicating with air traffic control, they intercepted the aircraft to make sure they knew “who they [were]” and maintain safety for all airspace users.

This is the first time that British and German air force have joined forces to patrol Estonia’s airspace. Estonia shares a border and is part NATO.

It is the result of tensions between Russia and NATO as Vladimir Putin’s invasion in Ukraine continues.

James Heappey, Armed Forces Minister, stated that NATO continues to be the foundation of our collective security.

“This joint UK-German deployment in the Baltics clearly shows our collective resolve and will to confront any threat to NATO’s borders while simultaneously demonstrating our combined strength.”

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After a Russian fighter plane collided with an American drone, provoking a diplomatic row among the two countries.

The US military accused the plane of “recklessly” colliding into its drone, which caused it to crash into the Black Sea.

Russia denied any involvement. A senior figure described the incident as a “provocation”.

This incident has highlighted the increased danger of direct confrontation between the superpowers due to the Ukraine war.