(CNN) British and German fighter jets intercepted a Russian plane flying near Estonian airspace on Friday, according to a statement from Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF).
It was the second such encounter this week as NATO conducts joint air policing operations in the region.
The two Typhoon jets intercepted “a Russian Tu-134 passenger jet, known by the NATO name Crusty, escorted by two Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighter jets and an AN-12 Cub military transport aircraft,” the RAF said .
The news comes amid renewed public appeals by Ukrainian leaders for Western warplanes. They say the jets are badly needed to repel Russian missile and drone strikes.
However, NATO allies are unlikely to send more advanced jets to Ukraine, defense experts have told CNN.
Such an interception is not untypical for NATO aircraft, but the joint air policing mission is a first for two NATO allies, the statement said.
The RAF described the operation as confirmation that Britain, Germany and other NATO countries “stand by their Estonian ally at this time of tension”.
“We quickly identified the Russian plane and then monitored it as it flew near NATO airspace,” RAF commander Richard Leask said in the statement.
Air policing missions help NATO identify any aircraft of interest, “make sure we know who they are” and keep everyone safe in the airspace, Leask continued.
“That’s part of being a fighter pilot, and we and our German colleagues trained that together,” said the commander.
Escalating tensions
The RAF is deployed in Estonia as part of Operation Azotize, which is tasked with defending itself against any aircraft causing concern in Baltic airspace, the military statement said.
The UK will take command from the German detachment in April and joint Allied missions will continue to be flown until the end of the month.
This week’s two NATO aircraft intercepts come after the release of stunning aerial video showing a Russian jet buzzing and then apparently striking a US drone over the Black Sea.
The downing of the drone highlighted the risk of a direct clash between Russian and NATO assets during the ongoing Moscow War in Ukraine.