Russia 'launches cyber attack' on NATO country plane carrying defence minister

Russia has been accused of launching a cyber attack on a Spanish Air Force plane which had the country's minister for defence on board.

The incident took place this morning as the plane flew over the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad on its way to Lithuania with Margarita Robles. She was due to meet with her Lithuanian defence minister Dovile Sakaliene, according to the Spanish government's itinerary.

The move comes just a day after NATO warned Russia on Tuesday that it would use all means to defend against any further breaches of its airspace after the downing this month of Russian drones over Poland and Estonia.

• Girl, 14, dies 'after breast enlargement surgery' as dad demands investigation
• Missing Sarm Heslop's boyfriend breaks silence with bombshell statement on 'truth'

In a statement NATO said: “Russia should be in no doubt: NATO and Allies will employ, in accordance with international law, all necessary military and non-military tools to defend ourselves and deter all threats from all directions.

“We will continue to respond in the manner, timing, and domain of our choosing,” the 32-member organisation said, and underlined its commitment to Article 5 of its founding treaty that an attack on any one ally must be considered an attack on them all.

The UK's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Moscow’s “reckless actions risk a direct armed confrontation” between Russia and the Western military alliance.

Speaking on Monday at the United Nations in New York, Ms Cooper said: “We are vigilant. We are resolute. And if we need to confront planes that are operating in NATO airspace without permission, then we will do so.”

Typhoon jets from the Royal Air Force have been taking part in NATO’s Eastern Sentry mission, flying their first mission over Poland on Friday, September 19.