People walk along an embankment of the Moskva River with the Russian Defense Ministry on the background in Moscow on Feb 22, 2022. (DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP)

MOSCOW / ISTANBUL - An RC-135 reconnaissance plane of the British Royal Air Force illegally crossed Russia's state border in the Arctic area of Cape Svyatoy Nos, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

The British aircraft was discovered over the waters of the Barents Sea, and a MiG-31BM fighter scrambled in response and forced the plane out of the Russian territory, the ministry said.

The British aircraft was discovered over the waters of the Barents Sea, and a MiG-31BM fighter scrambled in response and forced the plane out of the Russian territory

It was rare for military planes of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to breach Russia's airspace, news reports said.  

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Meanwhile, five more ships have left Ukrainian ports carrying corn and wheat, three from Chornomorsk and two from Pivdennyi, under a UN-brokered grain export deal, Türkiye's defense ministry said on Tuesday.

It added that four more ships bound for Ukraine were to be inspected on Tuesday by the joint co-ordination centre, set up by Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Nations in Istanbul.

One of the ships leaving on Tuesday was the Brave Commander, carrying the first cargo of humanitarian food aid bound for Africa from Ukraine since Russia-Ukraine conflict began, Refinitiv Eikon data showed.

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With Reuters inputs