Video of Russian Su-27 Intercepting US Spy Aircraft Over Baltic Sea Emerges Online

Recently, the Russian Defence ministry has repeatedly scrambled fighter jets to turn away numerous foreign reconnaissance aircraft from the country’s borders. Over the past two days, Russian fighter jets have responded to five similar incidents.

Russian Su-27 fighter aircraft on Tuesday escorted two foreign reconnaissance planes over the Baltic Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Control Center (NDCC) said in a statement.

“On September 8, Russian air control systems detected two air targets approaching the Russian state border over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. To identify air targets and prevent violation of the Russian state border, an Su-27 fighter from the Baltic fleet's air defense duty was scrambled,” the NDCC said.

The two spy jets were identified as US Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft RC-135 and Swedish Air Force reconnaissance aircraft Gulfstream.

A video of the Russian Su-27 fighter aircraft intercepting the US RC-135 jet was released early Wednesday.

On Monday, two Russian Su-27 jets intercepted two British Royal Air Force RC-135 spy aircraft and a Raytheon Sentinel aircraft over the Barents Sea. On the same day, a Russian MiG-31 fighter flew to intercept a Norwegian R-3S Orion patrol aircraft in the same area, according to the Russian military.