RUSSIA has released chilling footage showing their fighter jets approaching three British planes.
Vladimir Putin's defence ministry accused the jets of approaching Russian airspace - an allegation rubbished by the UK MoD.
The Russian Defence Ministry released photos of the interaction - appearing to show the three UK planesCredit: East2WestPutin's officials accused the aircraft - including the spy plane - of approaching Russian airspaceCredit: East2WestThe UK jets then departed the area after being shadowed by the RussiansCredit: East2WestIt is the latest clash over the Black Sea - which has seen numerous spats between Russian and Nato aircraft since Vlad launched his illegal war in Ukraine.
The two Russian Su-27 fighter jets were scrambled in response to the approach by the British RC-135 spy plane and two Typhoons.
Cockpit footage shows the vapour trails from the British planes in the sky when suddenly the two Russian jets approach.
Putin accused of surrounding himself with same 'actors' at series of eventsTensions between the West and Russia remain very high amid the war in Ukraine.
And the Kremlin is said to be increasingly furious over the new US supply of long-range ATACMS weapons to Kyiv.
Russia's Defence Ministry said: “A pair of Su-27 fighters from the air defence duty force were flown to identify the air targets and prevent violation of the state border of the Russian Federation.
“The Russian fighter crews identified the aerial targets as an RC-135 radio-technical reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft and two British Air Force Typhoon multi role fighters.”
The UK Ministry of Defence said in a statement: "This claim is completely false.
"At no time did the RAF aircraft attempt to enter Russian sovereign airspace.”
The ministry claimed that as the Russian fighter jets approached, the UK aircraft performed a U-turn away from Russian territories.
Russia says the interception “was carried out in strict compliance with international rules on the use of airspace over neutral waters, without crossing air routes or coming dangerously close to aircraft of a foreign state”.
Russian state news agency TASS boasted that the Russian Su-27s were deployed to “prevent British planes from violating the state border over the Black Sea”.
Yet the statement admitted that the RAF planes were “in airspace over neutral waters”.
Catholics across the world pray for Pope Benedict XVI as his body lies in stateThe close call comes a month after a Russian fighter jet fired two missiles at a UK spy plane over the Black Sea.
At the time Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that the unarmed RAF Rivet Joint was on routine patrol in international airspace when it was tailed by two Russian Su-27 fighter jets.
During the 90-minute interaction, one of the jets fired two missiles near the RAF plane.
The first one missed the target rather than malfunctioning - Moscow had blamed the missile launch on a "technical malfunction."
The Defence Secretary had said that Britain suspended patrols following the incident which he described as a "potentially dangerous engagement."
The UK spy plane diverted after being approached by the jetsCredit: East2West