Russian Il-20 'Coot-A' reconnaissance aircraft and Su-27 fighter jets flew near NATO airspace on June 8.
AFP news agency reported on June 25 that Britain has deployed fighter jets 21 times to counter Russian aircraft in the Baltic region of Europe in the past 3 weeks.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighters, currently operating in Estonia, are part of the Western alliance's "rapid reaction alert" aircraft to ensure security on Europe's eastern flank.
The aircraft's response comes amid heightened tensions with Moscow over Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Russia has not commented on the British report.
The Typhoon fighters have been operating from a base in Estonia since March and were deployed to track Russian aircraft that failed to respond to air traffic controllers, according to a statement from the UK Ministry of Defence .
Accordingly, British military aircraft are monitoring the skies over the Baltic region along with the air forces of Portugal and Romania.
The Russian aircraft intercepted included Su-27 fighters, as well as long-range bombers and transport and reconnaissance aircraft. The rapid response missions showed that NATO air forces maintained a “high state of constant readiness to ensure they can take off at a moment’s notice,” according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the intercepts of Russian aircraft were "a stark reminder of the value of collective defence and the deterrence provided by NATO".
“The RAF has been operating alongside our allies over the past three weeks to ensure that our member states and partners are protected and can be assured of our continued commitment to strengthening European security alongside those who share our values,” said Secretary Wallace.
While deployed to Estonia, RAF aircraft also took part in a number of major air exercises with NATO allies, including Defender – the largest exercise since the Cold War, involving 250 aircraft and 10,000 personnel from 25 countries.
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