Two RAF Typhoons have been scrambled this afternoon to intercept two Russian bombers heading towards UK airspace.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed two Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack aircraft have been spotted heading towards Britain with Typhoons sent out in response.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed that the Russian jets are currently in the UK's area of interest, but have not yet entered UK airspace.

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Two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack bombers have been spotted approaching UK airspace (file picture)

A map showing the flight path of the Typhoons to intercept the Blackjack bombers this afternoon

The Typhoons, which were dispatched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, are currently escorting the bombers south across the North Sea.

They are part of the UK's Quick Reaction Alert. The UK's airspace covers a 12-mile radius out from the UK coastline.

It is believed the aircraft are with the Long Range Aviation branch of the Russian military, which are involved in strategic bombing missions and carry nuclear weapons. They have never penetrated UK airspace.

Typhoon jets can be deployed in a range of operations, including combat.

More recently, Typhoons have been involved in the campaign against Islamic State in Syria, with jets dispatched from the British military base of RAF Akrotiri.

Vladimir Putin has previously been accused of Cold War-style 'brinkmanship' over similar incidents with Nato aircraft across Europe, including more than 100 Russian planes intercepted in 2014.

A RAF Typhoon jet similar to two that have been scrambled to intercept Russian planes (file picture)

A Russian Blackjack bomber (Tupolev Tu 160) being intercepted an RAF Tornado F3 fighter near Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, in March 2014

Last November tensions mounted further when Turkish forces shot down a Russian jet after it allegedly entered Turkish airspace while operating missions in Syria.

HOW THE TU-160 IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST OPERATIONAL BOMBER The Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack, which is also known as the White Swan, is the world's largest operational bomber. The Blackjack can fly twice the speed of sound It has also been billed as the world's largest combat aircraft, supersonic aircraft and variable-sweep aircraft - and been compared to the American B-1 bomber. Measuring 178ft long and with a spread wing span of 183ft, the aircraft has a range of more than 7,500 miles. With a crew of four men, the Blackjack entered service in 1987 and can carry 12 Kh-55 cruise missiles as well as 24 Kh-15 attack missiles. The aircraft is part of the Long Range Aviation branch of the Russian Air Force which is involved with long-range nuclear weapons. Advertisement

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

The Blackjack is the world's largest operational bomber and is nicknamed the White Swan by the pilots. It can travel at twice the speed of sound and carry 16 nuclear missiles.

It is possible the bombers were taking an unusual route to Syria, after a similar incident last November when two Blackjacks came close to entering UK airspace and Typhoons were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to intercept them.

The Russian aircraft were making an out-of-the-ordinary 8,000-mile trip round Europe on their way to a bombing mission in Syria.

The bombers departed from Olengorsk, in the Kola Peninsula and made their way westbound, coming close to Norwegian and British airspace, where they were met by the RAF.

Once intercepted by Britain's Typhoons, they made their way over the Atlantic Ocean and headed back east to Gibraltar, before firing their missiles from the Mediterranean Sea.

After flying over Syria, they took the usual route home, over Iran and the Caspian Sea, according to The Aviationist.

In October, Typhoons intercepted a Russian Tu-95 'Bear' over the North Sea and Russian warships passed through the Channel and had to be escorted by the Navy.

As previously reported in May 2015, The RAF was forced to scramble two fighter jets after Russian bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons were spotted flying towards British territory.

The Typhoon jets were launched from RAF Lossiemouth in north-east Scotland to intercept two Russian Bear aircraft and escort them away from the UK.