UK says Russian aircraft fired missile near British spy plane over Black Sea

[October 20, 2022]  LONDON (Reuters) -A Russian fighter jet released a missile near an unarmed British spy plane patrolling in international airspace over the Black Sea on Sept. 29, defence minister Ben Wallace said on Thursday.

British Defense Minister Ben Wallace speaks during the annual Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Britain, October 2, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Wallace told parliament that Russia had blamed the issue on a technical malfunction and that British aircraft were now being accompanied by fighter aircraft escorts.

He said Britain suspended patrols following the incident and had expressed the government's concerns to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

"A reply by the Russian Minister of Defence on the 10th of October, stated that they have conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the incident and stated it was a technical malfunction of the SU 27 fighter," Wallace said.

"They also acknowledged that the incident took place in international airspace."

The patrols now have fighter aircraft escorts, he added. Wallace said British allies had been informed.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, writing by William James; editing by Kate Holton and Angus MacSwan)

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