A Russian Su-27 fighter intercepted two US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea, after which they turned away from the Russian border, according to a release from the Russian National Defence Control Centre.
"On 7 August, Russian airspace control systems detected two aerial targets approaching the state border of the Russian Federation over the neutral waters of the Black Sea. A Su-27 fighter from the Southern Military District's air defence forces on duty was scrambled to intercept the targets," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
The crew of the Russian fighter identified the targets as "the US Air Force's RC-135 strategic reconnaissance plane and the R-8A Poseidon aircraft of the US Navy's land-based patrol aviation.
"After the US reconnaissance planes turned away from the state border of the Russian Federation, the Russian fighter returned safely to the airfield. The flight of Russia's Su-27 plane was conducted strict compliance with the international regulations of airspace use. No violation of the Russian Federation's state border by the US reconnaissance planes was allowed," the statement concluded.
