'Malfunction' blamed for spy plane shooting

A RUSSIAN pilot tried to shoot down an RAF spy plane believing he had been given permission to fire, according to a report.

Russia blamed a “technical malfunction” for causing the incident over the Black Sea on September 29 last year.

But intercepted communications suggest the pilot fired after receiving an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station.

The RAF plane had been flying a surveillance mission in international airspace when it encountered two Russian SU-27 fighter jets.

A Western defence source told the BBC the words the two pilots received were to the effect of “you have the target”.

One interpreted this as permission to shoot but the other did not, swearing at his wingman when he fired the first missile, according to the report.