Russia Almost Shot Down A UK Spy Plane
(PatriotWise.com) – Last month, the UK’s Defense Minister reported that a Russian fighter jet malfunctioned and fired a missile near a British spy plane that was flying over the Black Sea in late September.
UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace told the House of Commons on October 20 that the ministry did not consider this “a deliberate escalation by the Russians.” Instead, defense analysts all concur that “it was a malfunction.” At the same time, Wallace said it did serve as a reminder of how dangerous things can become when Russia chooses to use its fighter jets “in the matter that the Russians have done over many periods of time.”
Since the incident, British fighter jets have resumed their patrols over the Black Sea accompanying all reconnaissance aircraft.
In discussing the accident misfire, Wallace told the House of Commons that the West is dealing with a Russian president and military that are “not beyond making the wrong calculation or indeed deciding that the rules don’t apply to them.”
In a separate incident that week, a Russian fighter jet crashed into a residential building in the western city of Yeysk in Russia after the engine caught fire on take-off and the pilots ejected.
With no pilots aboard, the Russian Su-34 fighter jet smashed into the courtyard of one of the residential quarters, and the fuel ignited, killing 14 people, including three children, and injuring at least another 25.
Yeysk is on the shore of the Sea of Azov. It is separated from the Russian-occupied territory in southern Ukraine by a narrow stretch of the sea.
Ben Wallace visited the United States two weeks ago to attend meetings at the State Department, Pentagon, and the White House.
On October 18, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Minister Wallace at the White House where they reiterated their “commitment to continue providing Ukraine with security assistance” in its war against Russia.
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