UK fighter jets react to more incoming aircraft a day after scrambling to intercept Russian bombers

• The Royal Air Force scrambled fighter jets Thursday in response to Russian aircraft approaching a UK "area of interest."
• The RAF routinely intercepts aircraft approaching the UK.

Just one day after intercepting a handful of Russian strategic bombers, the Royal Air Force again scrambled fighter jets Thursday in response to more Russian aircraft approaching a UK "area of interest."

"Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon fighters from RAF Lossiemouth, supported by a Voyager Tanker from RAF Brize Norton, have been launched against aircraft approaching the UK area of interest," a Royal Air Force spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.

The RAF later identified the aircraft as Russian planes, according to Voice of America. The planes were identified as a pair of Russian bombers.

Thursday's incident follows an engagement the day before with four Russian bear bombers.

On Wednesday, the RAF quickly scrambled fighter jets to intercept four Russian military aircraft that entered a UK "area of interest," which is different from sovereign territorial airspace and is instead international airspace over which a country maintains a certain degree of responsibility.

The RAF said its "Typhoon fighters escorted the Russian aircraft out" and that the Russian strategic bombers did not enter British airspace, according to the UK Defence Journal.

The Typhoon is a fourth-generation air superiority fighter capable of supersonic speeds, and the Royal Air Forces uses it as an interceptor for unknown or hostile aircraft. Two bases in the UK have these aircraft on quick reaction alerts to rapidly respond to potential intrusions of the UK's airspace.

The Russian aircraft, according to the RAF, were two Tu-95 Bear H and two Tu-142 Bear F bombers, aircraft tht first entered service during the Cold War. Russian state media published footage of some of the bomber activity.

The RAF routinely intercepts aircraft approaching the UK "area of interest." When Russian military aircraft enter this monitored section of international airspace, it can be dangerous because they have a tendency to not communicate with air traffic control, the Associated Press reported.

Russia also regularly flies bombers and other military aircraft past other NATO countries, and it has also flown them into the US air defense identification zone off Alaska. These maneuvers are sometimes considered drills, while others are sometimes suspected to be sending a message.

It is unclear what the intention of Wednesday's fly-by was, but it came during a time of heightened tension between the UK and Russia. Prime Minister Boris Johnson just recently returned from Kyiv and has said that Russia will face consequences, specifically sanctions, should it invade its neighbor.