Russian jet fighters Su-27 of the Russian Knights aerobatic team perform during an air show in Kubinka, Russia, May 21, 2016. (Xinhua/Pavel Bednyakov)
The crew of the fighter jet identified the aerial objects as U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft RC-135 and U.S. Navy patrol aircraft P-8A Poseidon.
MOSCOW, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Russian Su-27 fighter jet was scrambled over the Black Sea on Wednesday to intercept two U.S. reconnaissance planes, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"On August 12, Russian airspace control systems have detected two air targets approaching the Russian state border over the neutral waters of the Black Sea," the ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service said.
A Su-27 fighter of the Southern Military District was scrambled to intercept the targets, it said.
The crew of the fighter jet identified the aerial objects as U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft RC-135 and U.S. Navy patrol aircraft P-8A Poseidon, it added.
After the U.S. planes flew away from the Russian state border, the Russian jet safely returned to its airfield, Zvezda said.
In the last few weeks, Russian fighter jets were scrambled regularly to intercept U.S. reconnaissance planes over the Black Sea. ■
