Nuclear bomber beat UK defences

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The Blackjack jet was allegedly carrying out a mock attack as it targeted Hull virtually undetected by RAF interceptors.

The plane was eventually spotted on radar, but the only two pairs of fighter jets used for air alerts were on other duties.

The breach, thought to be the most serious since the Cold War, has called into question Britain's defence capabilities.

One senior RAF pilot said: "The Russians made us look helpless. It was a disaster - it basically gave the Russians the green light to fly wherever they want."

The supersonic jet had taken off from Engel's Air Base near Saratov on Russia's Volga delta.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed the incursion took place late last year but said it had a "multilayered" approach to deterring enemy aircraft.