The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that one of their Su-27 fighter jets intercepted a US Navy EP-3 Aries surveillance plane in international airspace over the Black Sea on Monday. The Pentagon slammed the interception as "unsafe," and Moscow replied that they took "all necessary precautions" to avoid a hazardous situation.
Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza, a spokeswoman for the Pentagon, claimed that the Russian warplane came within five feet of the US spy plane, forcing it to veer off course and end its mission prematurely.
She added that the interception was unsafe because the aircraft crossed in front of the Aries, exposing the American plane to the turbulence left in the Su-27's wake. As a result, the Aries experienced "a 15-degree roll and violent turbulence."
The Russian Defense Ministry dismissed the allegations, saying that they took all necessary precautions to avoid a dangerous situation during the intercept.
The incident took place in international skies over the Black Sea, just miles from Russian airspace. NATO and Russia both maintain significant military presences in the region.
SOURCE https://sputniknews.com/military/201801291061169103-russia-intercepts-us-spy-plane/
