The chief of Britain's air force has condemned its Russian counterpart after two Russian maritime patrol bombers were intercepted north-east of Scotland.

Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters were deployed from a base in Lossiemouth, Moray, as the Russian Tu-142 "Bear-F" aircraft approached from the north-east on Wednesday.

The Russian planes stayed in international airspace over the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea, but were flying in the UK's area of interest, the RAF said in a statement.

Norwegian F-16s and F-35 jets, and a Nato E-3A were also deployed to monitor the Russian planes, which were regarded as unidentified as they had not made radio contact with civilian or military Air Traffic Control, or filed a flight plan.

Such flights by Russian air force planes are not uncommon. RAF jets were also scrambled twice in one week last month to monitor similar Tu-142 Bear aircraft.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston, said the flights of the "Cold War era" Russian bombers contravened air traffic regulations.

"These Russian bombers are relics of the Cold War, do not comply with international air traffic regulations and are a hazard to civilian and military aircraft," he said.

"Despite the global pandemic, the Royal Air Force and our allies continue to ensure Russian military flights pose no threat to Nato and UK airspace."