LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has scrambled Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to intercept two Russian bombers flying near UK airspace, the Ministry of Defense said.

The 'Blackjack' Tupolev Tu-160 bombers were spotted on Thursday, the ministry said.

"Fighter aircraft scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland yesterday to meet two Russian aircraft," it added.

Intercepts of Russian aircraft by NATO have increased over the last year amid heightened tensions between the West and Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

(Reporting by William James; writing by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Stephen Addison)