Russian aircraft missile launch not deliberate escalation - UK defence minister

LONDON - Britain's defence minister Ben Wallace said on Thursday that he did not consider the release of a missile by a Russian aircraft near a British aircraft patrolling in international airspace to be a deliberate escalation.

"We don't consider this a deliberate escalation by the Russians, our analysis would concur it was a malfunction," Wallace told parliament.

"However, it is a reminder of quite how dangerous things can be when you choose to use your fighters in the manner that the Russians have done over many periods of time."