MOSCOW. Jan 16 (Interfax) - A Russian fighter aircraft has accompanied a German military aircraft over the Baltic Sea in accordance with international rules and without coming dangerously close, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Control Center said in a statement on Monday.
"The Russian fighter crew identified an air target as a P-3C Orion base patrol aircraft of the German Air Force and escorted it over the Baltic Sea waters. After the foreign military plane turned away from the state border of the Russian Federation, the Russian fighter returned to base," the statement said.
"Violation of the Russian Federation state border was prevented," it said.
"The Russian fighter flew strictly in accordance with the international rules for the use of airspace above neutral waters, without crossing air-routes and dangerously approaching the foreign aircraft," the statement said.
As it approached the Russian border, the target was discovered by Russian airspace-monitoring systems over the sea, it said.
"An on-duty Su-27 fighter of the Baltic Fleet air defense forces was sent up to identify the air target and prevent violation of the Russian state border," the statement said.
The Su-27 is a Russian fourth-generation fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. The aircraft form part of Russia's on-duty air defense forces.