Free Republic

The Republic found itself at the centre of the latest muscle-flexing exercise by Vladimir Putin after Russian bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons flew past the west coast. A diplomatic spat erupted as the Irish Government warned it was “absolutely unacceptable” that the two Tupolev 95s were in Irish-controlled airspace for five hours without notifying the authorities. The planes were flying with their transponders switched off – meaning they could not be ‘seen’ by civilian aircraft as they passed through the busy airspace, where around 1,800 planes a day travel. The aircraft were tracked by RAF Typhoon jets for more...

Two Russian surveillance planes which flew close to UK airspace have been chased away by an RAF jet fighter. The aircraft, believed to be Tupolev 95s, were spotted off the coast of northeast Scotland. They turned away from Britain when an RAF Typhoon was scrambled from Leuchars airbase, near Dundee, where crews are on standby to intercept unidentified aircraft at a moment's notice.