Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday its Su-27 jet intercepted U.S. and Swedish reconnaissance planes over the Baltic Sea where NATO is holding Baltops 2019 naval drills.
“On June 10, Russia airspace control means over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea detected two air targets approaching Russia’s state border,” the ministry said in a statement.
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It also said a Su-27 fighter jet of the Baltic Fleet’s Air Defence Force was scrambled to intercept the targets. The Russian fighter identified them as U.S. RC-135 and Swedish Gulfstream reconnaissance jets. Both were escorted to prevent “the violation of Russia’s state border,” the Defense Ministry said.
#Видео 10 июня истребитель #Су27 из состава дежурных сил #ПВО Балтийского флота поднимался для сопровождения самолетов-разведчиков #ВВССША #RC135 и #ВВСШвеции #Gulfstream, приблизившихся к государственной границе РФ https://t.co/qt3rALZJ7i #БалтийскоеМоре #ОхранаГраницы @MID_RF pic.twitter.com/vue5UZhnQp
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) June 11, 2019
A US official was cited by CNN as saying that the interception was safe and professional.
“A RC-135 was flying a routine mission in international airspace over the Baltic sea. It was intercepted by a Russian Federation SU-27 aircraft. The intercept was deemed safe,” a different U.S. official told CNN.
Source: PressTV/Moscow Times
