Close Intercepts of US Units by Russia Could ‘Unnecessarily Escalate Tensions’

Close-range intercepts of US military aircraft have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between Russia and the United States, and could result in a miscalculation or accident which results in serious injury or death, according to statement of the US Department of Defense.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Close-range intercepts of US military aircraft and ships by Russia could result in an accident and escalate tensions between Washington and Moscow, the US Department of Defense said in a release on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the Defense Department said a Russian SU-27 jet made "an unsafe close-range intercept" of a US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft over the Black Sea.

"These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries, and could result in a miscalculation or accident which results in serious injury or death," the release stated.