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British Embassy says spy plane over Barents Sea performed ‘routine operation’

The embassy also claims that "the crew of the British plane was in contact with Russian air traffic controllers and acted safely and professionally"

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. A British Boeing radio-technical reconnaissance and radio-electronic warfare plane RC-135W carried out a ‘routine operation’ in international airspace over the Norwegian and Barents Seas on August 15, the British Embassy in Moscow said on Wednesday.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Monday that the plane had violated Russia's state border near Cape Svyatoy Nos over the waters of the Barents Sea. Russian air and space forces were tasked with preventing this overflight, and the plane was forced out of the area by a Russian MiG-31BM fighter. The ministry noted that London had applied for the flight including over Russian territory, which was a deliberate provocation, and pointed out that all possible consequences would lie entirely on the British side.

"The Russian MiG-31 made a dangerous approach maneuver with the Royal Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft, which was carrying out a routine operation in international airspace over the Norwegian and Barents Seas on August 15," the British Embassy in Moscow said in a message posted on its Telegram channel.

The embassy also claims that "the crew of the British plane was in contact with Russian air traffic controllers and acted safely and professionally."

For his part, Russian Charge d'Affaires in London Alexander Gusarov said that Moscow called on London not to create artificial hotbeds of tension in the Arctic and slammed the overflight "a premeditated and intentional provocation aimed at hacking Russia’s defenses.".

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