NATO jets intercepted a unique Russian Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft—nicknamed “Black Pearl” by Western security experts—over the Baltics earlier this month.
In a statement, NATO Allied Air Command said Italian Eurofighter Typhoons stationed at Ämari Air Base in Estonia as part of an airspace policing mission intercepted several Russian military aircraft and escorted them out of the area. Among the Russian assets was the Black Pearl, which is a Tu-134UBL, a military variant of the Tu-134 passenger aircraft.
Unlike the standard Tu-134, Tu-134UBLs are used to train Russian Air Force crews for the Tu-160 strategic heavy bomber and have a sharp, bomber-like nose.
Also intercepted were two Sukhoi Su-30 fighters.
“NATO air policing in the Baltic region ensures security of NATO airspace under Eastern Sentry,” NATO Allied Air Command said, referring to the military alliance’s eastern flank operations.
The exact date of the encounter was not made public.
The Black Pearl is painted almost entirely black with red-and-white stripes along its sides and the flag of Russia on its tail. Unlike most Tu-134UBLs, the Black Pearl appears to be used for VIP transport.
Military aircraft news website The Aviationist reported that the Black Pearl was intercepted by Belgian fighter jets over Lithuania in 2020, also as part of a NATO air policing mission.
Russian incursions into NATO-protected airspace are relatively common, and have ramped up since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
