The Russian military has sent a Sukhoi Su-27 twin-engine fighter aircraft to identify a US Airforce P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane as it was approaching the Russian state border from the Black Sea. The Su-27 came within a safe distance from the US spy plane, forcing the Boeing-produced aircraft to “immediately” change course and turn away from the Russian border, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported Friday.
The intercept comes amid large-scale Sea Breeze exercises, featuring Ukraine, the US and over a dozen NATO allies, that kicked off in the Black Sea on July, 1. Over 30 warships and 24 aircraft are involved in the drills.