Russia Blames ‘Malfunction’ for Firing Missile Near British Military Plane

Russian officials blamed a “technical malfunction” after a Kremlin fighter jet fired a missile near a British military aircraft last month. The close call came on Sept. 29 when an unarmed RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft was carrying out a routine patrol in international airspace over the Black Sea. Two Russian Su-27 fighter jets shadowed the British plane, which isn’t unusual. “During that interaction, however, it transpired that one of the Su-27 aircraft released a missile in the vicinity of the RAF Rivet Joint beyond visual range,” British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said Thursday. Wallace said the “potentially dangerous engagement” led him to contact his Moscow counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, to ask for an explanation. The Russian authorities replied that an investigation found a “technical malfunction of the Su-27 fighter” was to blame. News of the mishap comes after a Russian fighter jet crashed into a residential building near Ukraine on Monday, killing 13.