Russian fighter jet flies within 5ft of US Navy surveillance aircraft

Washington calls on Moscow 'to cease unsafe actions'

The Russian Airforce aerobatic team performs in their SU-27 jets (JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images)

A Russian fighter jet came within 5ft of a US surveillance plane as it flew over the Black Sea, in what the US called an “unsafe interaction”.

The flight path of the Russian jet forced the US Navy aircraft, which was flying in international airspace, to end its mission prematurely, a US official said.

“This is but the latest example of Russian military activities disregarding international norms and agreements,” the US State Department said in a separate statement.

“We call on Russia to cease these unsafe actions that increase the risk of miscalculation, danger to aircrew on both sides, and midair collisions.”

It said the Russian jet “engaged in an unsafe interaction with a US EP-3 [aeroplane] in international airspace, closing to within 5ft (1.5m) and crossing directly in front of the EP-3’s flight path”.

The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the close-call happened in international airspace. The ministry said its fighter jet detected an “unidentified air target” approaching Russian airspace and flew “strictly in accordance with international rules”.

It added: “A Su-27 fighter was sent to intercept the target and approached the aircraft at a safe distance and identified it as an ER-3E (Aries II) US reconnaissance aircraft.

“The crew of the fighter jet reported the identification of the American reconnaissance aircraft and accompanied it, preventing it from violating Russian airspace, observing all necessary security measures.”

A number of near-misses have taken place above the Black sea, where Russian, US and Nato forces operate in close proximity to one another.

Russia has increased its military presence in the area since it annexed Crimea in 2014, and the US Navy has also increased activity in the region.

There have also been interactions between the US and Russia in the skies above Syria, where the nations support differing sides in the ongoing civil war.

In December, two US F-33 stealth fighter jets fired warning flares after Russian Su-25 jets entered an agreed deconfliction area in Syrian airspace.

Reuters contributed to this report