A Russian military patrol aircraft dropped tracking devices near the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales in the Norwegian Sea.
The incident occurred during Operation Firecrest, the UK Ministry of Defence announced on July 6, 2026.
The Russian Bear-F aircraft repeatedly approached the carrier strike group at low altitude.
It dropped a large number of sonobuoys, which are used for undersea surveillance to detect and track submarines.
British forces attempted to establish communication with the foreign plane on international frequencies but received no response.
Two F-35 jets were scrambled from the carrier to escort it away.
The UK carrier strike group is currently deployed off Iceland under NATO command with 1,500 British personnel.
The naval deployment includes HMS Prince of Wales, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, F-35 jets, Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, and the support tanker RFA Tidespring.
An MoD spokesperson criticized the maneuvering of the maritime patrol plane.
"The Bear-F passed at low altitude and unnecessarily close to HMS Prince of Wales and dropped a large number of sonobuoys in close proximity to the carrier," the spokesperson said.
"This activity was unsafe and unprofessional.
The Russian aircraft was intercepted and escorted by two UK F-35 jets from HMS Prince of Wales until it left the area," the spokesperson added.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis visited the British forces on board HMS Prince of Wales over the weekend.
"We should be clear-eyed about the fact that the threat from Russia exists in every domain," Jarvis told Channel 4 News.
Jarvis emphasized that European security measures require enhancement.
"Europe does need to step up," he said, adding that the government has the resources needed to keep the country safe.
Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge called Russia's actions provocative.
"Russia's provocative actions are totally unjustified, and we back our brave service personnel in facing them down," Cartlidge said.
Cartlidge urged the government to prioritize defence spending.
"Only by prioritising defence spending over a bigger welfare state can the government hope to deliver the funding our forces need," he said.
