RAF and German fighter jets scrambled again to intercept Russian aircraft

RAF and German fighter jets deployed to Estonia have intercepted Russian military aircraft for the second time in less than two weeks.

Typhoons from the RAF and German air force were scrambled together from Ämari Air Base on Tuesday to identify aircraft, which turned out to be three Russian military jets, over the Black Sea close to Estonian airspace, the RAF said.

The Russian aircraft – two SU-27 flankers and an IL-20 intelligence plane – were then intercepted.

• RAF Typhoons scrambled for second day in a row
• NATO jets scrambled 290 times to intercept Russian planes this year, alliance says
• RAF and German fighter jets scrambled to intercept four Russian military aircraft close to Nato airspace

Germany's Luftwaffe tweeted that the Russian aircraft "flew again without a transponder signal in international airspace over the Baltic Sea".

In photos shared by the Royal Air Force and Luftwaffe, at least one of the intercepted Su-27s can be seen bearing the letter 'Z' which has become a propaganda symbol for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The British and German Typhoons are in Estonia as part of Nato's Baltic Air Policing mission, protecting the alliance's eastern skies with the Royal Air Force leading the operation in the country.

On 17 April, it was announced the RAF and its German counterparts based in Estonia had intercepted three Russian jets – again two Su-27s and an IL-20 – flying over the Gulf of Finland and Baltic Sea close to Nato airspace.