Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF Rivet Joint plane over Black Sea | UK News

A fully crewed RAF plane was nearly struck down after a Russian pilot fired missiles in a communication breakdown, it has now been revealed.

The pilot fired two missiles, the first of which missed rather than malfunctioned as claimed at the time, according to the BBC.

Russia had claimed the incident last September was caused by a ‘technical malfunction’ and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) publicly accepted the Russian explanation.

However, senior Western defence sources have now told the BBC that this wasn’t true.

Sources said Russian communications intercepted by the RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft give a very different account from the official version.

The RAF plane was flying a surveillance mission over the Black Sea in international airspace on September 29 last year when it encountered two Russian SU-27 fighter jets.

Intercepted communications show that one of the Russian pilots thought he had been given permission to target the British aircraft, following an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station.

However, the second Russian pilot did not. He remonstrated and swore at his wingman when he fired the first missile.

The Rivet Joint is loaded with sensors to intercept communications. The RAF crew would have been able to listen in to the incident which could have resulted in their own deaths.

The MoD will not release details of those communications.

Responding to these new revelations, an MoD spokesperson said: ‘Our intent has always been to protect the safety of our operations, avoid unnecessary escalation and inform the public and international community.’

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