The Russian Su-30 fighter was launched to intercept the U.S. reconnaissance plane that was seen over the neutral waters of the Black Sea on November 25 around 1 p.m. The Russian side confirmed the information previously released by the Pentagon about the interception of U.S. Navy aircraft during their flight over the Black Sea.
4besnews At the same time the USA accused Russia of having carried out an “unsafe” interception.
Said spokeswoman Michelle Baldanza, According to her, the Russian fighter’s actions were considered unsafe because the plane crossed the American plane’s course from right to left, causing “severe turbulence.”
F9news Russia’s concern about the American aircraft over the Black Sea is not surprising. In October, the Defense Ministry reported that in one week, 18 planes were registered conducting reconnaissance along Russia’s borders. Twelve aircraft were sighted heading west strategically and three more – in the Arctic and southwest. In addition, three ships carried out reconnaissance along Russia’s maritime borders. At the same time, foreign planes carry out such reconnaissance operations with enviable regularity – the statistics for early October were practically the same. The reconnaissance near Russia’s borders was carried out by 10 foreign ships and 17 airplanes. From October 2 to 8, the air defense forces on duty carried out ten missions to intercept air targets.
According to western locations tracking military aviation, aircraft with tail number ZZ664 took off from Waddington Air Force Base and conducted a reconnaissance near the coast at an altitude of 9.5 thousand meters. The aircraft’s route crossed the North Sea, Denmark and the southern Baltic Sea. Russian aviation conducts regular exercises to prepare for situations where interception is required. At the end of September, large-scale tactical flight exercises began in the Far East, involving the attack, fighter and bomber aircraft of the Eastern Military District (VVO).
In addition, pilots of Su-35, Su-30SM fighters and air units of the air defense forces from the Khabarovsk region developed elements of air combat at various altitudes, searched, escorted and intercepted enemy aircraft, the role of which was taken over by fighters from Primorye. During the final phase of the exercise, the pilots of Su-35, Su-25 and the crews of the new Su-34 bombers bombed ground targets located on special training grounds in Primorye and Khabarovsk territory. Militarist circles in Western countries must repeat speculations about the “Soviet threat” in every respect in order to reinforce and cover up their plans for an arms race and material preparation for war. One of the activities of the Pentagon and its partners in this direction has been the creation of a widespread project that includes fighter planes as active means.