A video shows the latest close aerial encounter between the air forces of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, it is alleged. The Russian defence ministry said: “An Su-27 fighter jet as part of the Southern Military District’s air defences was scrambled to intercept the target. The crew flew the aircraft at a safe distance to the aerial target and identified it as a US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance jet.”
The Russians claim the US warplane “immediately changed the direction of its flight to fly away from the Russian state border”.
The US forces are now participating in NATO’s Sea Breeze naval drills in the Black Sea.
The Russian Navy has its own “combat training” exercises in the Black Sea, reported the Moscow media.
The Russian military newspaper Red Star claims Kremlin warplanes have been scrambled three times in the past week “to block foreign aircraft from illegally entering Russian airspace”.
Moscow claims 26 foreign surveillance aircraft have been spotted by Russian forces near its airspace over the past seven days.
In mid-June, SU-27 fighter jets were scrambled to intercept US strategic bombers approaching the Baltic and Black seas, claimed Moscow.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.