The Kremlin reacted to the findings of the Washington Post that in 2022 Russian troops nearly shot down a British plane over the Black Sea. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s press secretary, said he had no knowledge of the matter, pointing to the Russian Defense Ministry.
The American daily, citing documents allegedly leaked from the Pentagon, reported that Russian troops nearly shot down a British RC-135 reconnaissance plane near the coast of occupied Crimea. The Washington Post stated that the incident took place in September 2022.
Dmitry Peskov, when asked by journalists in Moscow about the information of the US newspaper, stated that it was a matter for the ministry. – I don’t have that information. Of course, this topic is closer to the Ministry of Defence. Therefore, I recommend contacting him, ”said Peskov, responding to the question of whether Russia confirmed the incident.
Much of the information provided by the Russian media or representatives of the authorities is part of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war waged by the Russian Federation.
The Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that Peskov also announced that he would transfer the case to the ministry headed by Sergei Shoigu.
The RC-135 incident reportedly occurred on September 29 near the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea. The daily notes that this is a more serious incident than any other known cases so far and could potentially “draw the US and NATO into the war in Ukraine”.
British Defense Minister Ben Wallace reportedly informed the House of Commons in October that two Russian Su-27 fighter jets had intercepted a British plane in international airspace over the Black Sea. The Russians operated in a “reckless” manner, and one of their planes came within 15 feet of the British one.
The Russian fighter fired a missile at a certain distance. As the daily reported, Wallace explained it as a “technical error” and was to say that he had discussed it with representatives of the Kremlin.