A Russian MiG-31 fighter jet has been scrambled to intercept a US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft, RC-135, flying over the Sea of Chukotsk, the Russian Defence Ministry announced.
"To identify the air target and prevent the violation of Russian airspace, a MiG-31 fighter from the air defence forces of the Pacific Fleet took to the skies. The crew of the Russian fighter identified the air target as a US Air Force RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft and escorted it over the waters of the Sea of Chukotsk," the Russian Defence Ministry said.
The Russian Defence Ministry clarified that after the foreign military aircraft turned away from the state border, the Russian fighter safely returned to its home airfield.