An armed Russian fighter-bomber conducted “low passes” over a US Navy ship after being intercepted by the RAF. British Typhoon fighter jets stationed in Poland intercepted two Sukhoi Su-24Ms, NATO codename FENCER D, before one proceeded to buzz the USNS William McLean, the RAF said.
The Air Force did not reveal where the incident occurred, but it is likely to be in the Baltic Sea. An RAF photo shows the Russian aircraft flying low over the waters, with the US Navy dry cargo vessel in the background. The British jets were scrambled to intercept the Soviet-era supersonic tactical bombers after they left Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave situated between Poland and Lithuania in the Baltic region.
“Once identified the pair split with a Typhoon tasked to escort each aircraft,” the RAF said.
“One FENCER D then proceeded to conduct low passes over the United States Navy Ship William McLean.”
It was just one of six scrambles made by the Typhoons, stationed at Malbork airbase in northern Poland, in just six days.
Fifteen Russian warplanes were intercepted, in what represents the busiest period of the RAF’s deployment so far.
Moscow fighter jets, surveillance planes and anti-submarine warfare aircraft have all been monitored by the RAF.
It comes as a major air exercise gets under way in Finland, close to the Russian border.
More than 40 warplanes from the US, UK, France and Finland are taking part in the training, known as Atlantic Trident 25, which aims to improve combat readiness.
The aircraft includes RAF Typhoons, as well as American, French and Finnish fighter jets.
Six of the jets have been stationed in Poland by the RAF since April as part of a NATO mission known as enhanced Air Policing (eAP).
It was set up in the wake of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and sees additional aircraft deployed along NATO’s eastern borders in nations including Romania, Bulgaria and Estonia.
The RAF is in Poland alongside Sweden’s air force. This is the first time Swedish fighter jets have participated in air policing on the territory of another NATO ally since Stockholm joined the alliance in 2024.
Russian aircraft are often intercepted by NATO jets along the eastern flank.