Russia fighter jet intercepts US spy plane

WASHINGTON - The US State Department said on Monday that a Russian SU-27 engaged in an "unsafe interaction" with a US EP-3 aircraft in the international airspace over the Black Sea earlier on the same day.

Washington notes "with the highest level of concern" the latest incident of "unsafe" Russian military practices, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

She added that the US Naval Forces Europe has confirmed that the Russian pilot was close to within 1.5 meters and crossed directly in front of the EP-3's flight path.

However, the encounter was first reported by Russia's RIA news agency on Monday, which cited the Russian Defence Ministry as saying that the Russian fighter jet intercepted a US Navy EP-3E Aries II and prevented it from violating the Russian airspace.

"The Russian Su-27 fighter jet conducted the entire flight in strict accordance with international rules of the use of airspace. No extraordinary situations occurred during the intercept," the ministry said in a statement, denying allegations of "unsafe" maneuvers.

"After the surveillance plane of the US Navy had changed its course to move away from the border, the SU-27 returned to its base," it added, defending its rights to launch military operations over the neutral waters.

Russia and the US have exchanged words several times over the last year about midair encounters between the two countries' planes, including above the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea.

Xinhua

(China Daily 01/31/2018 page12)