MOSCOW. June 26 (Interfax) - Two Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets were scrambled on Monday after Russian airspace monitoring systems detected three airborne targets over the Black Sea approaching the Russian border, Russia's National Defense Control Center said.
"Two Su-27 fighter jets from the on-duty air defense forces was scrambled to identify the airborne targets and to prevent a violation of the Russian Federation's state border," the center said.
The Su-27s identified the airborne targets as an RC-135 electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare plane and two Typhoon multirole fighter jets of the UK Air Force.
As the Russian fighter jets approached, the foreign planes turned away from the Russian border.
"The Russian planes safely returned to their airfield. No violations of the Russian Federation's state border were allowed to happen," the center said.
The Russian fighter jets conducted their flight in strict compliance with international rules on the use of airspace over neutral waters, without crossing any air routes or coming dangerously close to the foreign state's planes, it said.