Dramatic moment Russian fighter jet intercepts a US spy plane as it flew close to Crimea as America takes part in NATO exercises
- Sukhoi SU-27 fighter scrambled to intercept American aircraft near Crimea
- US plane turned out to be a P-8A Poseidon spy plane flying over the Black Sea
- Russia claims plane immediately changed course to fly away from Crimea
- Moscow says 26 spy planes have been spotted near its territory this week
This is the moment a Russian fighter jet intercepted a US spy plane as it flew close to the Crimean peninsula.
A Sukhoi SU-27 jet can be seen approaching the P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane in images released by the Russian defence ministry.
It comes as both Russian and NATO forces – including the US – participate in rival military drills in the Black Sea, where the Crimean Peninsula is situated.
A Russian Sukhoi SU-27 fighter jet was sent to intercept an American craft flying close to the Crimean Peninsula which turned out to be a P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane
The Russian defence ministry said: ‘An Su-27 fighter jet as part of the Southern Military District’s air defences was scrambled to intercept the target.
‘The crew flew the aircraft at a safe distance to the aerial target and identified it as a US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance jet.’
The Russians claim the US warplane ‘immediately changed the direction of its flight to fly away from the Russian state border’.
The Russian military newspaper Red Star claims Kremlin warplanes have been scrambled three times in the past week ‘to block foreign aircraft from illegally entering Russian airspace’.
Moscow claims 26 foreign surveillance aircraft have been spotted by Russian forces near its airspace over the past seven days.
Russia says that, after its fighter jet arrived, the US plane immediately changed course to fly back out over the Black Sea
In mid-June, SU-27 fighter jets were scrambled to intercept US strategic bombers approaching the Baltic and Black seas, claimed Moscow.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 after the Moscow-friendly government of Viktor Yanukovych was toppled in a revolution.
The Kremlin claims Crimea as Russian territory after a referendum showed overwhelming support for the move.
But EU and US leaders said the vote was carried out at gunpoint and view Russia’s presence there as an illegal occupation.
American forces are currently participating in NATO drills in the Black Sea (file image, a P-8A Poseidon plane)
Russia says that in the past week alone, 26 foreign surveillance craft have been detected near its borders (file image, an SU-27 fighter)