Leaked Pentagon papers expose Russian response of RAF aircraft over Black Sea. (US DoD)

A report published by The Times on Friday revealed that the Pentagon leaks showed Russian fighters had responded to at least six reconnaissance flights by NATO forces between September 29 and February 26.

On September 29, UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace said that the UK suspended its air patrols over the Black Sea after a Russian Su-27 fighter fired a missile that flew near a UK RC-135 reconnaissance plane. Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported, citing the leaked Pentagon files, that Su-27 "nearly" shot down RC-135.

According to The Times, Russian fighters escorted, in two separate cases, RC-135s, one on January 11 and the second on February 22. The RC-135s were accompanied by Eurofighter Typhoon fighters of the UK air force.

UK RC-135 aircraft frequently fly over the Black Sea - at least once every ten days, The Times added.

On March 14, the US European Command claimed that a Russian fighter jet dumped fuel on an American drone over the Black Sea and then collided with it, causing the drone to crash. The White House called the crash a result of "reckless" behavior by Russia.

The command statement read, "a Russian Su-27 aircraft struck the propeller of a US MQ-9 drone, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters," adding that "several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound, and unprofessional manner."

The Russian Defense Ministry denied US allegations and said its fighter jets did not come into contact with the US MQ-9 drone that crashed into the Black Sea earlier, pointing out that the drone crashed due to "sharp maneuvering".

A senior US army official told CNN broadcaster on March 29 that Washington's decision to change its flying route over the Black Sea following the crash of the MQ-9 Reaper earlier this month has impacted intelligence gathering on the war in Ukraine.

A Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told the news channel: "We’re not going to discuss missions, routes, or timing of operations. We’re also not going to discuss intelligence operations other than to say we maintain a robust ISR capability in the region and beyond."