British Defence Secretary John Healey said Russian fighter jets carried out two dangerous encounters with an unarmed RAF Rivet Joint spy plane over the Black Sea in mid-April.

In one incident, a Russian Su-27 flew within six metres of the aircraft and made repeated close passes, while a Su-35 later came close enough to trigger the plane’s emergency systems and disable autopilot.

The RAF aircraft was conducting a NATO surveillance mission in international airspace when the incidents occurred.

Healey condemned the actions as reckless and warned they risked accidents and escalation between Russia and NATO, The Guardian has reported.

Despite rising Russian military activity in Europe, including naval and submarine operations, the UK said it remains committed to supporting NATO and monitoring Russian actions.