A Russian Su-27 jet was scrambled to escort an American Р-8А Poseidon surveillance plane above the Black Sea after it was spotted once again scanning Russia’s southern borders, some 8,000 kilometers away from home.
The radar picked up “an aerial target” approaching the border over the neutral waters on Monday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement. An Su-27 fighter jet, which took off from a coastal airfield, approached the object from a safe distance and identified it as Р-8А Poseidon.
The encounter forced the US spy plane to change course, and it started moving away from the country’s airspace, while the Su-27 safely returned to base.
“The violation of the Russian border wasn’t allowed,” the ministry said.
This latest incident was almost a carbon copy of the other recent intercepts, which took place above the Black Sea last Thursday and Friday. On both occasions, a Р-8А Poseidon was escorted away from the Russian airspace.
US surveillance and long-range bomber planes, as well as other NATO aircraft, have frequently been spotted near Russia’s borders in recent years. The flights, which Moscow deems provocative, have intensified since 2014, when Crimea rejoined Russia and the military conflict in eastern Ukraine broke out.
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