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Russian Fighter Passes Within Feet Of Spy Plane
A Russian SU-27 fighter jet has come within 3 metres of a US Naval reconnaissance plane while it flew above the Black Sea.
US officials have described the Russian manoeuvre as "dangerous and unprofessional", according to the BBC, saying the jet came within 10ft of their P-8A Poseidon.
Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said:
"These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions, and could result in a miscalculation or accident".
He added that the US plane was conducting a routine operation in international airspace.
Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry claims it intercepted the US plane because it was headed towards their airspace and had its identifying transponder signal turned off. The Russians have stated:
"After the Russian fighters got close to the spy planes for visual confirmation and to determine their wing numbers, the American aircraft changed course sharply and flew away... The Russia pilots acted in strict accordance with international rules for flights".
The Russians have also released a video (above) showing the procedure for an intercept.
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