The British Royal Air Force (RAF) has released details regarding an operation to intercept Russian aircraft that were travelling to Kaliningrad Oblast.
According to the RAF, two Eurofighter Typhoon jets were scrambled from their base in Estonia on July 4, 2023, when a Russian Air Force Tupolev Tu-214 was detected close to NATO airspace.
The Tu-214, known as Putin’s “Doomsday plane”, was accompanied by two Sukhoi Su-30M Flanker H fighter jets as the lead aircraft flew from Moscow to the Russian semi-enclave territory.
The RAF said that the Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and “transited south and then north again”.
Any Russian aircraft trying to reach Kaliningrad Oblast must circumvent NATO countries such as Lithuania and travel over the Baltic Sea.
Photos of the Tu-214 and the Russian fighter jets were taken by the RAF pilots and shared on social media.
The Tu-214 is part of the Russian Special Flight Squadron and is reported to be Vladimir Putin’s airborne command post should nuclear war ever break out.
The jet is often referred to as the “Doomsday plane” or the “Flying Kremlin”.
On June 25, 2023, the RAF confirmed that the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission in Estonia had scrambled jets to respond to Russian aircraft 21 times in the preceding 21 days.
“These intercepts are a stark reminder of the value of collective defense and deterrence provided by NATO. The RAF has operated alongside our allies over the last three weeks to ensure both member states and our partner nations are protected, and they can be assured of our ongoing commitment to strengthening European security alongside those who share our values,” the British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said.