Russian Fighter Su-27 Escorted US Spy Plane RC-135 Over Black Sea - Defense Ministry

Russian fighter Su-27 was scrambled to escort the US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea, it was not allowed to reach the Russian border, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Control Center (NDCC) said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2021) Russian fighter Su-27 was scrambled to escort the US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea, it was not allowed to reach the Russian border, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Control Center (NDCC) said on Wednesday.

It noted that earlier in the day, Russian airspace control had detected an air target approaching the Russian borders over the Black Sea.

"To identify the air target and prevent it from breaching the Russian state border, a Su-27 fighter from the air defense duty of the Southern Military District was scrambled.

The crew of the Russian fighter identified the air target as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft RC-135 of the US Air Force and escorted it over the water area of the Black Sea," the statement says.

"The flight of the Russian aircraft was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace. No breach of the Russian border was allowed," the NDCC added.