THE RAF scrambled Typhoon jets after reports of Russian aircraft over the North Sea.
The Ministry of Defence has said that a 'Quick Reaction Alert' from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray is "airborne".
According to the air force and navy monitoring site Mil RAdar, the Russian aircraft was operating in the northern part of the North Sea and was being shadowed by two Typhoon jets.
An MoD spokesman said: "A Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) from RAF Lossiemouth is airborne, we do not offer detail on ongoing operations."
Such incidents are not uncommon.
1112z: Russian aircraft now operating in the northern part of the North Sea still shadowed by RAF QRA pic.twitter.com/tVOJOawHr6
— Mil Radar (@MIL_Radar) March 29, 2021
In November, two RAF fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian military aircraft flying over the North Sea.
The Typhoons were also launched from RAF Lossiemouth after two Russian Tu-142 Bear F planes were detected near UK airspace.
The RAF said at the time that the Russian aircraft were used for anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol.
It added that it was "essential" their movements were "carefully monitored" when operating so close to the UK.
Two months earlier, two UK fighter jets based in RAF Lossiemouth intercepted two Russian aircraft off the Scottish coast.
The MoD said that the RAF Typhoons, which are based at RAF Lossiemouth, were scrambled after the Russian aircraft “entered the UK’s controlled zone of international airspace”.
Royal Air Force Typhoons from 6 Sqn RAF Lossiemouth (Sgt Keates/MoD)
The Russian planes were identified as TU-142 Bear F maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft.
And in March last year, RAF Typhoons were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft flying near Scotland three times in the same week.
Two jets were launched from RAF Lossiemouth following reports of two Russian Blackjacks travelling north of Stornoway.
They set off as part of the RAF's Quick Reaction Alert programme.
The Russian Tupolev Tu-160 aircraft are used as supersonic strategic bombers and long-range maritime patrol planes.
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