The UK Ministry of Defence has accused two Russian fighter jets of repeatedly and dangerously intercepting a Royal Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea in April 2026, in what London has called the most serious incident involving the type since 2022.
In a statement published on May 20, 2026, the MOD claimed that a Russian Su-35 had flown close enough to the unarmed Rivet Joint to trigger emergency systems on board the aircraft, including the disabling of its autopilot. In a separate intercept, a Russian Su-27 conducted six passes in front of the British aircraft, coming as close as six meters from its nose.
The Rivet Joint, operated by 51 Squadron from RAF Waddington, was on a routine signals intelligence flight in international airspace, the MOD said, describing the mission as part of the UK’s support to NATO’s eastern flank. The crew completed the planned sortie despite the Russian interference.
A @RoyalAirForce Rivet Joint aircraft operating in international airspace over the Black Sea was dangerously intercepted by Russian military jets – flying as close as six metres and triggering onboard emergency systems.
Despite these reckless manoeuvres, RAF crew completed their… pic.twitter.com/QyUP7dE4OJ
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) May 20, 2026
Diplomatic response
According to the UK MOD, representatives from the ministry and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office filed a formal protest at the Russian Embassy in London during the week of May 18, 2026.
“This incident is another example of dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots, towards an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace,” Defence Secretary John Healey said in the statement. “These actions create a serious risk of accidents and potential escalation.”
Healey stressed that the intercepts would not deter the UK from its NATO commitments and praised the RAF crew for completing the mission.
Most serious incident since 2022
According to the MOD, the April 2026 episode was the most dangerous Russian action against a UK Rivet Joint since September 2022, when a Russian Su-27 released a missile in the vicinity of an RAF RC-135W over the Black Sea. The British government at the time accepted the Russian explanation that the launch was the result of a weapons malfunction rather than a deliberate escalation.
The RAF operates three RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft as part of Project Airseeker, a cooperative program with the US Air Force that runs until 2035.
The Black Sea remains a high-friction operating area. In November 2023, a Russian air traffic control system threatened to shoot down a French Air and Space Force E-3F AWACS patrolling in international airspace over the same waters.
