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Russian Jet Nearly Shot Down British Aircraft, Says Leaked Pentagon Document

One of the classified documents leaked on social media in recent days painted a far more alarming picture of the aircraft incident.

A Russian jet almost shot down a British spy plane near Ukraine last year, according to a classified U.S. military document leaked on social media in recent days. The document states that two Russian fighter jets encountered the British aircraft on Sept. 29 in international airspace over the Black Sea, near Crimea. The Russian planes were flying “recklessly,” the document says. One jet “released a missile” at distance in what is now being described as a near-shootdown, despite U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace describing the incident at the time as a “technical malfunction.” The document, one of many Pentagon files making rounds online after being leaked, paints the incident as far more significant than Wallace had indicated. NATO military officials continue the difficult task of aiding Ukraine without being drawn into direct conflict with Russia.