Russia sent some of its fighter jets to harass an unarmed British RAF surveillance plane flying over the Black Sea region. While one of the fighter planes approached within a distance of 19 feet from the RAF plane, another caused the shutdown of the latter's autopilot function. Such an event was characterized by the British government as "unacceptable" and "dangerous," adding that this was the first time Russia had launched such a provocation since the previous year when Russia attempted to shoot down the British plane.