RAF fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian planes flying over the Romanian Black Sea yesterday.

The pair of Typhoons reportedly rushed to head off two Russian aircraft, believed to be Su-30 fighters.

The British jets are among four RAF Typhoons based in based in south-eastern Romania as part of Nato’s mission to guard Europe’s skies.

The Russian jets were heading south-west towards Nato airspace from the Crimea.

A statement from the RAF stated the jets were operating to deter Russian aggression and reassure Romanians of the UK's commitment to collective defence.

One of the Typhoon pilots said the RAF shadowed the two Russian aircraft, but never came into visual range of them.

The incident comes just days after RAF fighters intercepted six Russian bombers flying near Nato airspace in the same area over the Black Sea.

The incident is believed to have happened on Monday, August 13, and followed a night of "significant air activity".

Reports from a Russian news agency suggest the Russian planes were diverted towards the Crimean Peninsula.

Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor earlier said such "provocations" by Russia had become "frequent" in recent months.

The four RAF Typhoons are deployed at Romania's Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, where several hundred US troops are also stationed.

The US Air Force has four F-15C Eagles based in neighbouring Bulgaria.

The recent frequent interceptions of Russian bombers comes after Nato enhanced its defence systems following the annexing of Crimea in 2014.