Rogue Russian pilot tried to shoot down RAF aircraft in 2022

Russian pilot tried to shoot down an RAF surveillance plane after believing he had permission to fire, the BBC has learned.

The pilot fired two missiles, the first of which missed rather than malfunctioned as claimed at the time.

Russia had claimed the incident last September was caused by a "technical malfunction" The BBC has now learned that Russian communications intercepted by the RAF give a very different account from the official version.

In that incident the Russian pilot was awarded a medal, but most experts agree it was down to luck rather than skill or judgement. It highlights serious questions about the discipline and professionalism of Russia 's air force. Despite the near shoot down, the RAF has continued to conduct surveillance flights over the Black Sea - a testament to the courage of the crews who narrowly avoided a disaster. Since the incident, these RAF surveillance flights have been escorted by Typhoon fighter jets armed with air-to-air missiles. The UK is the only Nato ally to conduct crewed missions over the Black Sea ..