RAF jets intercept Russian 'Bear' bombers flying to UK as Boris warns Putin on Ukraine

2 February 2022, 12:42 | Updated: 2 February 2022, 20:45

RAF Typhoon jets scrambled to intercept four Russian "Bear" bombers that were approaching the UK - the same afternoon Boris Johnson spoke to Vladimir Putin over Ukraine.

Two combat jets flew out from RAF Lossiemouth in northern Scotland and were joined by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

The air force said shortly after midday that it had launched warplanes to aircraft that were flying towards the UK's "area of interest".

The bombers flew to Britain on the same afternoon Boris Johnson spoke to Russian president Vladimir Putin to warn him an invasion would be a "tragic miscalculation".

An RAF spokesperson said: "Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon fighters based at RAF Lossiemouth supported by a Voyager from RAF Brize Norton were scrambled today against unidentified aircraft approaching the UK area of interest.

"Subsequently we intercepted and escorted four Russian Bear aircraft."

The bombers did not enter UK airspace.

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The flights come as Moscow and the West stand off over Ukraine - with the Kremlin massing some 100,000 troops on the border and ongoing fears the tensions will boil over into a bloody conflict.

Mr Johnson told Mr Putin that Ukraine has a right to join Nato if it wants to, reiterating it is a defensive alliance.

Downing Street said: "The Prime Minister stressed that any further Russian incursion into Ukrainian territory would be a tragic miscalculation."

It added that both leaders agreed "aggravation was in no one's interest" and to find a peaceful resolution to the situation.

The RAF regularly intercepts aircraft that approach the UK's "area of interest".

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These include regular flights of Russian aircraft, which predate the current crisis in Ukraine. Jets were scrambled in November last year when TU-160 Blackjacks bombers approached that "area of interest".

Boris Johnson flew to Kiev on Tuesday to hold talks and a press conference with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president.

Flying away from mounting criticism over the Partygate saga in London, Mr Johnson pledged £88 million more in help to build up Ukraine's "resilience" and reduce reliance on Russian energy supplies.

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He said the UK stood "shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine" and pledged tough action on Russia if any of the roughly 100,000 troops massed on the border were to invade.

"We have done all this and prepared all this not as a show of hostility towards Russia, but as a demonstration that we will always stand up for freedom and democracy and Ukrainian sovereignty in the face of aggression," he said.

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"It is vital that Russia steps back and chooses a path of diplomacy, and I believe that is still possible."

Russia and Western countries have entered talks, with Moscow demanding Nato's military infrastructure in countries that joined Nato after 1997 is removed. It also wants guarantees that Ukraine and Georgia never join the military alliance.

The US described the Kremlin's demands as a non-starter but had said it would be willing to talk over issues such as arms control.

Boris Johnson had to push back the previously-scheduled call with Mr Putin on Monday when he apologised to MPs over the Partygate saga.

He has been mocked by Russian state-controlled media, with one outlet saying even schoolchildren were laughing at the embattled PM.

Previously, the UK had sent anti-tank missiles to Ukraine as a show of support for Kiev. Reports suggest some form of a security pact will be agreed between Britain, Poland and Ukraine.