A leaked Pentagon document claims Russia nearly shot down a British spy plane near Ukraine.

A British spy plane flying over Ukraine was nearly shot down by a Russian fighter jet A leaked Pentagon document It’s going viral on social media.

The spy plane was flying off the coast of Crimea on September 29. Such spy planes are often used to collect electronic messages such as radio transmissions.

According to the document, it was almost brought down by a missile fired by a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet. The shooting down of the British jet could have given the United States and its NATO allies a major boost in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Washington Post examined the document and found a reference to “a UK RJ in close proximity.” RJ stands for RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft also known as “Rivet Joints”.

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An SU-30 naval aviation aircraft is photographed close-up in the sky over Zhukovsky, Russia, July 24, 2021. (Mihail Siergiejevicz/SOPA Images/Lightrocket via Getty Images)

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told the British Parliament about the incident in October, when two Russian fighter jets intercepted an RC-135 flying “recklessly”.

While Wallace said at the time that the Russian jet had “launched a missile,” he did not specify that the collision was a shootout. Wallace attributed the missile launcher to a “technical malfunction.”

of US Department of Defense (DOD) forwarded the leak to the Department of Justice (DOJ) this week.

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Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine – March 22: An interior view of a damaged building after a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on March 22, 2023. People are trying to go about their daily lives in an attack by the Russian military that left one person dead and 34 injured. Due to the attack, many buildings and infrastructures were severely damaged. ((Photo by Muhammad Ines Yildirim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

“The Department of Defense is actively reviewing the matter, and has made a formal referral to the Department of Justice for investigation.” Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Friday.

The cause of the leak, including document holes, is unknown. Consultant b President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky He said the leak could have been orchestrated by the Russians, as some analysts believe the documents are only partially credible in favor of Russia.

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The Pentagon is seen from Air Force One flying over Washington on March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

“The published information is only related to the information and operational game that the Russians started to introduce confusion, take the initiative and discredit the attacker’s intentions. It is clear,” said Podoliak.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.