Black Sea: Russian Fighter Greets US Spy Plane So Hard That It Scurries Away

Russia scrambled a Su-30 fighter plane on May 9 over the Black Sea to intercept a target approaching Russia's state border, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — NBC News reported Thursday citing a spokeswoman for US Naval Forces Europe that "a Russian Su-27" fighter jet on May 9 "came within approximately 20 feet of a US Navy P-8A Poseidon" in international airspace.

"On May 9 at about 12.00 (Moscow time) Russian airspace control means detected over the neutral waters of the Black Sea an air target approaching the state border of the Russian Federation. To intercept the target, a Su-30 fighter was scrambled," the Russian ministry's statement said.

The statement said the US reconnaissance aircraft changed its route after approaching Russia's Su-30 over the Black Sea, and the Russian fighter returned to its home base.

"The pilot of the Russian plane identified the air object as a US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft. The Russian fighter conducted a greeting manoeuvre after which the American reconnaissance plane changed its route and moved away from the Russian border," the ministry elaborated.