ROSTOV-ON-DON. Nov 28 (Interfax-AVN) - A Russian fighter was scrambled to intercept a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea and caused it to change its flight path several days ago, Russia's Southern Military District press service reported on Tuesday.
"Russian airspace control systems detected an aerial target approaching Russia's border at a high speed over neutral waters of the Black Sea at about 1:00 p.m. Moscow time on November 25. A [Sukhoi] Su-30 aircraft belonging to the Southern Military District air defense units on duty was scrambled to intercept the target," the statement shared with Interfax-AVN says.
"Approaching the aerial object, the Russian fighter flew around it and identified it visually as an American P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft. After having been detected by the Russian fighter, the American P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft changed its trajectory to move away from Russia's airspace," it said.
Having completed its mission, the Russian fighter safely returned to its base airfield, it said.