A file photo of a Su-30SM fighter published on the website of the Russian Defense Ministry.

MOSCOW, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia scrambled a Su-30 fighter to intercept a U.S. reconnaissance plane over the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The Russian air control detected a target approaching the Russian border over the neutral waters of the Black Sea at around 12:00 p.m. Moscow time (0900 GMT) on Tuesday, said the statement.

The Su-30 fighter then took off and the pilot visually identified the air object as a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft P-8A Poseidon at a safe distance.

The statement said the Russian jet performed a maneuver to "greet" the pilots of the U.S. plane, the latter then changed route and flew away from the Russian border.

The Su-30 fighter successfully returned to its airfield.