BRAZEN HOSTILITY: HMS Duncan was buzzed by 17 Russian fighter jets (Pic: GETTY)
A ROYAL Navy warship was harassed by 17 Russian fighting jets in an “unprecedented” show of military force near the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
HMS Duncan was sailing through the Black Sea with a fleet of NATO warships when the Russian fighter jets swooped in a display of “brazen hostility”.
Video of the dramatic moment in May earlier this year is being aired as part of the Channel 5 documentary following the operations of the Type 45 destroyer in the volatile region.
In the footage, the Russian jets are seen flying so close that the aircraft’s electronics could have been scrambled by the Portsmouth-based warship’s radar system leaving the potential for them to crash.
Defence secretary Gavin Williamson praised the actions of the crew aboard HMS Duncan in the face of Russian aggression.
Williamson said: “Over the past year, HMS Duncan and her crew have embodied the key role the UK plays in NATO.
“As NATO flagship, she has faced down brazen Russian hostility in the Black Sea with jets buzzing overhead, been stalked by Russian spy ships and played a vital role protecting NATO allies during the British, American and French strikes against Syrian chemical weapons facilities.
“Through her deployment, this world-leading ship and her crew epitomised the nation we are going to be as we exit the EU – a truly global Britain which is outward-looking and engaged on the world stage.”
The Black Sea, located between eastern Europe and western Asia, has turned into a flashpoint for tense military incidents involving Russian, NATO and Ukrainian warships and planes.
Full article: Royal Navy warship buzzed by 17 ‘hostile’ Russian fighter jets near Crimea risking crash (Daily Star)
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