(AhlulBayt News Agency) - A Russian fighter jet carried out an intercept of US spy plane flying over the Black Sea, according to US Defense officials.
A Russian fighter jet intercepted a US spy plane flying over the Black Sea, according to US Defense officials cited by the Reuters news agency. The officials said that there were multiple interactions between two aircraft and called the intercept by the Russian jet "unsafe and unprofessional."
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the incident lasted about 19 minutes and the Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter came within 10 feet of the US Navy P-8 surveillance plane.
Officials are now reviewing the incident with the pilot to determine whether it should be included in the annual meeting of US and Russian officials about more serious intercepts, the official added.
The Russian statement noted that after the Russian jets neared the US planes to carry out visual identification, the US planes suddenly changed direction and drew away from the border.
It noted that the Wednesday intercept was the latest incident involving US spy planes flying over the region where Russia is engaged in the massive Caucasus 2016 military drills that kicked off on Monday.
This is not the first time US intelligence aircraft have caused trouble near Russian airspace. In April, Russian planes cut off a US aircraft “rapidly approaching the Russian border." Following the incident, Russia’s Defense Ministry officially called on the US to refrain from sending planes towards it borders or at least "turn on transponders for automatic identification by our radars."
A Russian fighter jet was also forced to intercept a US spy plane flying over the Black Sea in another incident in January.
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