British fighter jets 'scrambled after Russian bomber approached UK airspace'

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:51, 14 April 2026 | Updated: 20:55, 14 April 2026 British fighter planes were today scrambled over fears of a suspected Russian long-range bomber nearing UK airspace.  Two Typhoon fighter jets were flown from RAF Lossiemouth, in Scotland, along with a Voyager refuelling jet from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.  The planes flew towards Shetland, off Scotland's north-east coast and were tracked circling nearby.  The Telegraph reported that an unidentified Russian warplane sat outside British airspace.  It did not need to be intercepted or escorted by the British jets, which later returned to base.  The Russian plane's approach to the UK comes just as Keir Starmer told British military chiefs to find £3.5billion in budget cuts despite the crisis in Iran and the looming threat the Kremlin poses to the West.   The heads of the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force - along with other top brass - are reported to be meeting this week to discuss funding pressures. They have been asked by Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials to find £3.5billion of 'efficiencies' and other savings this year, according to Sky News. Two Typhoon fighter jets were flown from RAF Lossiemouth, in Scotland (FIle image of a British Typhoon FGR4) Sources said the in-year squeeze is because the current defence budget is insufficient to deliver existing plans. It previously emerged that the MoD is facing a £28billion shortfall between now and 2030, with the Prime Minister said to have been given the dire financial assessment before Christmas. James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, said it was 'extraordinary' that military chiefs are being asked to find cuts at a time of 'war on two fronts' in the Middle East and Ukraine. The senior Tory MP pointed to how Labour had spent around £3billion on lifting the two-child benefit cap, adding: 'Politics is always about what you prioritise.' The row came as Sir Keir faced charges of leaving Britain 'unsafe' with a former NATO chief and Labour minister condemning the PM's 'corrosive complacency'.  Lord Robertson will use a speech later to accuse Sir Keir of failing to act with the country 'under attack', insisting the Iran war should be a 'rude wake-up call'. In a devastating assessment, he will warn the Government is prioritising 'the ever-expanding welfare budget' over essential security.  The peer - who helped write Labour's Strategic Defence Review last year - has been backed by military chiefs who said the UK could no longer rely on the 'US cavalry coming to bail us out'.  The MoD has previously announced a Defence Reform and Efficiency Plan to deliver £6billion of savings over five years. An MoD spokesman said: 'The defence budget is rising to record levels as this Government delivers the biggest boost to defence spending since the Cold War, totalling £270billion this parliament alone. 'Demands on defence are rising, with growing Russian aggression, the crisis in the Middle East and increasing operational requirements. 'We are finalising our Defence Investment Plan that we will publish as soon as possible, putting the best kit and technology into the hands of our forces, rebuilding British industry to make defence an engine for growth and doubling down on our own commitment to NATO.'  The Daily Mail has contacted the RAF for comment.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.