BBC report: Russian fighter jets once "fired missiles" at British military aircraft
According to the Associated Press, the BBC reported on September 14th that a Russian military pilot "intentionally" fired missiles at a Royal Air Force reconnaissance aircraft in the Black Sea international airspace last year. For this incident, the Russian side previously stated that it was caused by a "technical malfunction".
The BBC reported that communication intercepted by the British military showed that on September 20, 2022, after receiving ambiguous orders from Russian ground stations, the pilot of the Soviet Su-27 fighter jet opened fire on an "unarmed" British reconnaissance plane, while the co pilot of the Su-27 fighter jet attempted to stop him.
The report states that the Royal Air Force's "Rivet" electronic reconnaissance aircraft has sensors that can intercept electronic communication, and the crew can hear related calls.
According to reports, British officials handled the incident in a low-key manner in public. Former UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told lawmakers in October 2022 that a Russian fighter jet had released a missile "near a British aircraft", and he has requested an explanation from Russian Defense Minister Shoigu. Wallace said that the Russian side claimed that "this is a technical malfunction of the Su-27 fighter jet.".
Wallace said at the time, "We believe that this incident was not intentionally escalated by the Russian side, and our analysis also suggests that it was caused by a malfunction." He also stated that the Royal Air Force has resumed reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea and is escorted by fighter jets.
According to the report, when asked about the latest BBC report on this matter, the UK Ministry of Defence stated that Wallace had already reported to the lower house after the incident occurred.
The UK Department of Defence stated, "Our goal has always been to protect the safety of our operations, avoid unnecessary escalation of the situation, and inform the public and the international community."
According to reports, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Sunak stated that Sunak believes that Wallace's statement did not mislead lawmakers.