Aircraft arriving from Russia over the Black Sea were described as moving with a calm, orderly cadence as the Royal Air Force plane closed in. This assessment comes from a representative of the British Ministry of Defence weather team who spoke about the encounter.
According to the TV channel, on June 26 a reconnaissance RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft, accompanied by two Typhoon fighters, conducted a routine operation in international airspace above the Black Sea. Russian Su-27s then advanced in an attempt to intercept the ally surveillance mission.
“The Royal Air Force, the Russian aircraft and their crews acted safely and professionally,” Sky News quoted a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson as saying.
Dmytro Kuleba, a former head of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, suggested that Kiev should deploy F-16s to deter Russian ships and aircraft from entering the Black Sea grain corridor. He argued that a fleet of F-16s could help keep maritime and aerial traffic away from the corridor, ensuring the uninterrupted passage of grain shipments.