U.K. scrambles jets to shadow Russian spy plane near British airspace

British jets were scrambled to monitor a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying close to U.K. airspace, the defense minister in London said on Friday, just days after NATO jets were mobilized when Russian aircraft were spotted over the Baltic Sea and off the coast of Norway.

Two Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland followed the Russian Bear-F aircraft as it flew over the North Sea on Thursday, the ministry said.

"At no time was it able to enter UK sovereign airspace," it added.