British and German jets intercepted Russian ones in international airspace, as two supersonic jets also flew over the north of Scotland.
The German airforce said two Eurofighters, one from the RAF and one from the Luftwaffe, intercepted three planes which were flying over the Baltic Sea with their transponders off.
They were identified as two SU-27 fighters flanking an IL-20 surveillance aircraft.
Aufklärungsflieger abgefangen. 🇩🇪 und 🇬🇧 #Eurofighter wurden alarmiert, um 3 Militärmaschinen zu identifizieren. Die zwei SU-27 Flanker und eine IL-20 aus 🇷🇺 flogen erneut ohne Transpondersignal im int. Luftraum über der Ostsee. #SecuringTheSkies #VAPB @NATO @GermanyNATO… pic.twitter.com/sOY4CPkrbe
— Team Luftwaffe (@Team_Luftwaffe) April 26, 2023
The Russian Air Force also flew a pair of Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic jets across the neutral airspace of the Barents and Norwegian seas, passing to the north of Shetland.
The Russian Defence Ministry said: "Two Tu-160 aircraft make scheduled flight over neutral waters of Barents and Norwegian Seas
"During the flight the crews of long-range aircraft carried out night and day aerial refuelling.
Read More: Russian spy ship ‘gathered intelligence off Scottish coast for energy sabotage plans’
"Fighter escort was provided by the crews of MiG-31 aircraft of the Northern Fleet air defence and Russian Air Force.
"The pilots of long-range aviation regularly carried out flights over the neutral waters of the Arctic, the North Atlantic, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
"All the flights by Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are carried out in strict compliance with international airspace regulations."
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