Russian fighter jets approach, US reconnaissance aircraft changes course

On January 29, the Russian military dispatched a Su-27 fighter jet to intercept and force a US Navy EP-3 Aries reconnaissance aircraft to change its route in international airspace over the Black Sea, according toRT.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian fighter jets had complied with international rules and there was no emergency. The Su-27s were scrambled after Moscow detected a flying object heading towards the border.

Meanwhile, the US Navy said the Su-27 approached the EP-3 dangerously close, at times only 1.5 meters away, and flew across the US spy plane. The Russian fighter followed the US EP-3 Aries spy plane for 2 hours and 40 minutes over the Black Sea. The US considered this action "unsafe".

Russian and American aircraft have encountered each other several times in international airspace over the Black Sea. The most recent encounter occurred in November 2017, when a Russian Su-30 fighter jet flew across a P-8A reconnaissance aircraft. The Pentagon accused the Russian aircraft of turning on its afterburners while flying ahead, causing the P-8A to shake violently.