Russian Fighters Scrambled to Escort US Spy Planes Over Black Sea

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian fighters Su-27 and Su-30 were scrambled to escort US reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea, no border breach was allowed, the Russian Defence Ministry's National Defence Control Centre (NDCC) said on Friday.

It is noted that on 3 December, Russian airspace control detected targets approaching the state border of Russia over the neutral waters of the Black Sea.

"To identify aerial targets and prevent violation of the Russian state border, Su-27 and Su-30 fighters were scrambled. The crews of Russian fighters identified aerial targets as the US Air Force RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft and the CL-600 reconnaissance and target designation aircraft 'Artemis' of the US Ground Forces and escorted them over the Black Sea," the statement says.

After the foreign military aircraft turned away from the state border, the Russian fighters safely returned to the home airfield. The flights of Russian fighters were carried out in accordance with international rules for the use of airspace, the state border remained safe.