A Russian fighter jet came within approximately 3 meters of a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft while both were flying in international airspace over the Black Sea in late May, according to U.S. officials.

A Russian Su-24 fighter-bomber flies over the Black Sea - Photo: Reuters.

CNN reported on June 11, citing US officials, that the Russian fighter jet had been flying alongside the US patrol plane at the same altitude, then suddenly detached and flew above the US aircraft before leaving the area.

The incident occurred on May 30th, and the American plane did not evade it, according to CNN sources, but they did not specify whether the US had lodged a protest through diplomatic channels.

This incident occurred just weeks after a U.S. military RC-135U reconnaissance aircraft was harassed by a Russian Su-27 Flanker while flying in international airspace north of Poland in April. The Pentagon subsequently criticized this as an “unsafe and unprofessional” act.

In early June, the US Navy unexpectedly released video showing a Russian Su-24 flying past the starboard side of the destroyer USS Ross in the Black Sea. In the video, the Russian aircraft approaches from a distance and suddenly flies very close to the American ship.

U.S. officials believe that the increased presence of NATO and Russian military aircraft in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea has led to more encounters between the two sides. However, the two recent aerial encounters are particularly concerning because they endangered U.S. aircraft and personnel, according to the Pentagon.

(According to TNO)