MOSCOW, January 29 (Sputnik) — The Russian ambassador to the UK was summoned to the British Foreign Office on Thursday evening over the alleged disruption to UK civil aviation by Russia's Air Force flight, the British Foreign Office said.
The UK foreign office noted that Russian aircraft had not entered sovereign British airspace and had been escorted by RAF Typhoons throughout the time they were in the "UK area of interest".
"While the Russian planes did not enter sovereign UK airspace and were escorted by RAF Typhoons throughout the time they were in the UK area of interest, the Russian planes caused disruption to civil aviation," the Foreign Office told Sputnik.
"Russian aircraft manoeuvres yesterday are part of increasing pattern of out of area operations by Russian aircraft," the UK Foreign Office added.
Earlier on Thursday, reports inthe British media said that the UK Royal Air Force scrambled two fighters to escort the Russian bombers from the "UK area of interest."
Russia said its Air Force Tu-95MS strategic bombers spotted near British airspace were conducting a planned 19-hour flight over the North Atlantic and did not breach international regulations or any nation's borders.
According to a Russian Air Force spokesman, Russian strategic bombers were scheduled to be escorted by RAF Typhoon aircraft, Norwegian F-16s and French Mirage fighters at different stages on their route, and the flight had been performed with strict adherence to international regulations on the use of airspace over neutral waters without violating states' sovereign borders.
