Russian Su-30 Fighter Escorts US Spy Plane Over Black Sea - Video

This comes as tensions between Russia and NATO have escalated amid Western claims that Moscow plans to invade Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly rejected the allegations, adding that NATO has been using such allegations to deploy more forces near Russian borders.

Russia's Su-30 fighter jet escorted US reconnaissance aircraft P-8A over the Black Sea on Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

"To identify the air target and prevent it from breaching the Russian state border, a Su-30 fighter from the air defence forces of the Southern Military District was scrambled. The crew of the Russian fighter identified the air target as a US Navy reconnaissance aircraft P-8A and escorted it over the waters of the Black Sea," the National Defense Control Centre (NDCC) said.

After the foreign military aircraft turned away from the Russian state border, the Russian fighter safely returned to the airfield, it was carried out in strict accordance with the international rules for the use of airspace.

The ministry shared a video of the Russian fighter jet intercepting the US plane.

Earlier this week, Russian fighter jets were scrambled to intercept and accompany French Rafale and Mirage-2000 jets, as well as a French Air Force C-135 refuelling aircraft, as they flew over the Black Sea.