A Russian Fighter Jet Nearly Shot Down a British Surveillance Plane In Crimea

It has been reported that a Russian fighter jet nearly shot down a British surveillance plane off the coast of Crimea on 29 September last year.

The incident was disclosed by Britain's defence secretary, Ben Wallace, to parliament in October. The leaked Pentagon document, which has not been verified for authenticity, refers to the incident as a "near-shoot down of UK RJ."

The report also details other encounters between Russian jets and US, British and French aircraft on surveillance flights between October and February. The incident could have drawn the US and NATO allies directly into the Ukraine war under article 5 of NATO's treaty. US defence officials and the British embassy in Washington declined to comment on the contents of the leaked document, and Russia did not respond to a request for comment.