This is the moment two RAF Typhoon fighter jets intercepted a Russian ‘doomsday plane’ after they were scrambled near the NATO border.
British fighters followed the Russian Air Force Tu-214SR, a modified airliner that can act as a flying command post, as it flew over the Baltic Sea.
The RAF said its planes were scrambled from an Estonian airbase, adding that the Tu-214SR was flying in international airspace under the control of NATO allies.
It was traveling between mainland Russia and Kaliningrad Oblast, and was being escorted by a pair of Su-30M Flanker Hs as it entered and exited the enclave.
Vladimir Putin had the Tu-214SR built so that it could issue commands in the event of a World War 3 nuclear attack, flying safely over the battlefields below.
This is the moment two RAF Typhoon fighter jets intercepted a Russian ‘doomsday plane’ after they were scrambled near the NATO border.
The British fighters, based in Estonia as part of an ongoing NATO mission to secure the alliances’ borders, were pictured flying alongside the larger plane in footage released by the RAF on Tuesday.
From the cockpit, the British pilots also took photos of the two Russian Su-30M Flanker Hs, which were escorting the Russian doomsday plane.
The Typhoons followed the Russian air force plane and accompanying fighters as it flew in and out of the Kaliningrad region, which borders Poland and Lithuania (both NATO members) and the Baltic Sea.
RAF Typhoons in Estonia scrambled today to intercept a Russian Air Force Tu-214 flying in international airspace under the control of @NATO allies as it transited south then north with 2x Su-30M Flanker Hs between mainland Russia and Kaliningrad Oblast. ‘ the RAF wrote in a message on Twitter.
For the Moscow plane to reach it without traversing NATO airspace, the Russian pilots must fly between Estonia and Finland (which are also NATO members) and over the Baltic Sea.
British fighters followed the Russian Air Force Tu-214SR, a modified airliner that can act as a flying nuclear command post, as it flew over the Baltic Sea.
The aircraft was traveling between mainland Russia and Kaliningrad Oblast, and was being escorted by a pair of Su-30M Flanker Hs (pictured) as it entered and exited the enclave.
From the cockpit, the British pilots took photos of the two Russian Su-30M Flanker Hs, which were escorting the largest Russian doomsday plane (pictured)
NATO has reported an increase in VIP flights to and from Kaliningrad in recent months.
It was not known who was aboard the Tu-214SR during Tuesday’s incident, but it is understood that the plane is only used for “persons of importance.”
“It is possible that he could have had Putin on board or one of his top lieutenants,” The Sun reported, citing a source.
Little information is available about the full capabilities of the 214SR aircraft, but it is known to carry an MRC-411 multiple intelligence payload, which includes an array of sensor and radar technology.
Four onboard generators provide plenty of power to onboard systems, while external fuel tanks allow the plane to stay airborne for up to 10,000 kilometers.
This is understood to be to allow the Russian president to remain airborne in the event of a nuclear war, while continuing to issue orders to his forces on the ground.
Two 214SRs entered service in 2008, but didn’t become public knowledge until a few years later, when one appeared at the Moscow airshow.
They have been seen flying over high-profile events, such as the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics8 and over the Crimea.
Several Russian planes have been intercepted by British jets in recent weeks.
On June 20, RAF Typhoons were sent to meet a Russian Navy Tupolev Tu-134 and two Sukhoi Su-27 flankers.
An almost identical incident occurred on June 16, in which RAF Typhoons intercepted a Russian Air Force IL-20 COOT A and two SU-27s near Estonian airspace.
On June 9, British jets were scrambled for the second time in 24 hours when Typhoons intercepted an Antonov An-12 Cub and Antonov An-72 Coaler flying south from mainland Russia towards Kaliningrad Oblast.
The same fighters were then redeployed to intercept two Tupolev Tu-22M Backfire bombers and two Su-30SM Flanker H fighters that were detected flying from mainland Russia over the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea, the RAF said.
And this came after RAF Typhoons and Swedish Air Force Gripens scrambled to intercept a Russian Air Force IL-20 Coot A and Su-27 Flanker on June 8. The Russian planes were flying close to Swedish airspace on this occasion.
Britain’s Royal Air Force also sent fighter jets last month to intercept a Russian navy plane flying near NATO airspace (pictured), one of a series of similar incidents.
In a sign of tensions in the airspace around Ukraine, it was revealed earlier this year that a Russian fighter jet tried to shoot down an RAF manned plane over the Black Sea in what could have been an act of war.
Fortunately, the missile misfired in an incident that US defense officials revealed today was much more serious than first thought.
The errant Su-27 pilot mistakenly believed that a ground-based radar operator had given him permission to fire on and shoot down the British plane on 29 September.
The Russian plane locked onto the RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint surveillance plane and fired, but its deadly missile mislaunched and missed. It was previously believed that the missile was launched by accident, not as a deliberate act of war.
I am Rakesh Sharma, I associated with Elite News as an Editor, since 2021. I take care of all the news operations like content, budget, hiring and policy making.