RUSSIA has vowed to conintue flying its bombers along the south coast off Southampton.

And now it has been reported fears have been raised that the could interfere with civilian aircraft near British airspace.

Concerns come after a Moscow general warned the country’s military will continue to make “buzzing” flights.

An air safety expert has joined former chief of the defence staff in expressing their worries following incidents where Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft encroached into the Channel off Southampton.

Daily Echo:

RAF jets were scrambled to intercept and escort the planes, known as the Russian Bear, after they were detected in the Channel and off the coast of Cornwall on another occasion.

Russian general Anatoly Zhikharev, who commands Russia’s long-distance aviation forces, was reported to have said that the country’s long-distance military training flights will continue “with the same intensity”.

Former armed forces head Lord Stirrup said: “We are seeing the possibility of mid-air collision - not between RAF and Russian aircraft but between Russian aircraft and civilian aircraft – increasing.”

David Learmount, operations and safety editor of publication Flightglobal, agreed that the danger existed because Russian planes were known to have switched off their tracking equipment.

He said: “There is a risk. Aircraft can be tracked through their transponders but it’s unlikely that the Russians flying too close to the UK would have their transponders on.

“This would mean the civil air traffic controllers at their Swanwick headquarters could not track these Russian planes.

“They are becoming more aggressive. These aircraft, Russian Bears for example, are not going on these flights simply as joy rides. They are mission rehearsals.

“These aircraft launch stand-off missiles against western targets and just as they used to do in the cold War, they are practicing those profiles.”

The increase in flight numbers comes as the conflict in eastern Ukraine continues and Prime Minister David Cameron announced that British military personnel will be sent to the country.

Pro-Russian rebels have said they are pulling back heavy weapons from the front line as part of a ceasefire but the British servicemen will be used in the coming weeks to provide advice and training.