WASHINGTON — A Russian fighter jet buzzed aU.S. Navy surveillance plane over the Black Sea on Tuesday, the latest provocative act by the Russian military in Europe.
The incident was described as an "unsafe close-range intercept of a Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft while it conducted routine operations in international airspace over the Black Sea," said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. The intercept lasted 19 minutes.
In April, two Russian warplanes zipped dangerously close to the USS Donald Cook in the Black Sea. That move prompted an official protest to the Russian government in Moscow. Russian warplanes also flew dangerous maneuvers near an Air Force reconnaissance plane in April in the region.
"U.S. Navy aircraft and ships routinely interact with Russian units in the area and most interactions are safe and professional," Davis said in a statement. "However, we have concerns when there is an unsafe maneuver like this. These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions, and could result in a miscalculation or accident."
