One of the most notable aircraft of naval aviation of the Russian Navy (VMF), the Tu-134UBL "Black Pearl," found itself in the center of a large-scale photo shoot. It was arranged by pilots of Italian Typhoon FGR.4 fighters during the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission over the Baltic Sea.
The Russian escort group included two Su-30SM2 aircraft, led by the "Black Pearl." The onboard cameras of the Italian Eurofighters also captured Su-24MRs, a pair of Su-24s, and deck-based Su-33s.
In fact, NATO fighters simply fly out to meet Russian combat aircraft that are performing flights without submitting a flight plan and with the transponder turned off.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has repeatedly emphasized that all combat aviation performs flights over neutral territory and in strict compliance with international rules.
The Tu-134UBL is a training aircraft developed in the Tupolev bureau in the early 1980s based on the Tu-134 passenger airliner. The aircraft is distinguished by a special design of the nose section of the fuselage, similar to the Tu-22M and Tu-160 bombers.