Britain scrambled Typhoon fighter jets to intercept two Russian bombers near British airspace over the Atlantic Ocean on November 19, the Ministry of Defense said.
"Typhoon aircraft went up from RAF Lossiemouth to intercept two Russian Tu-160 aircraft flying in Britain's area of interest in international airspace over the Atlantic [on November 19] and remained with them until they left the area," a ministry spokesman said on November 20.
Intercepts of Russian aircraft by NATO have increased in the past year amid heightened tensions between the West and Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.
In January, Britain summoned the Russian ambassador to explain a similar episode when Russian bombers flew over the English Channel, forcing British authorities to reroute civil aircraft.
