On 31st October 2018, RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon fighter aircraft scrambled to monitor two Russian strategic bombers approaching UK airspace.

“Typhoon fighters … were scrambled today as a precautionary measure against a potential incursion into UK area of interest by one or more unidentified aircraft,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said.

“At no time was there a threat to UK airspace ..,” he added.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed earlier today that two of their jets are on a flight over the Norwegian Sea.

Writing on Facebook, they said: “The duration of this will be about ten hours.

“After the flight task, the crews will return to the home airfield.

“The event is held in strict conformity with the international rules for the use of airspace without violating the borders of other states.”

This is the latest example of Russian aggression in recent months. On September 20 British and French military jets scrambled to investigate a suspected Russian fighter aircraft flying over the North Sea.

On August 15 the RAF intercepted six Russian bombers over the Black Sea, said to be flying close to NATO airspace.

Eurofighter Typhoons were launched from their base in Romania after the Russian Su-24 Fencer planes were spotted.