SPOTTED

Russia Claims It Intercepted Two U.S. Jets Over Baltic Sea

The Russian defense ministry said a fighter jet was deployed to escort the planes away.

A Russian fighter jet intercepted two U.S. jets over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Tuesday. “A Su-27 fighter from the air defense forces of the Baltic Fleet was taken into the air,” Russia’s National Defense Control Center said in a statement. “After the removal of foreign military aircraft from the State Border of the Russian Federation.” Russia claimed it sprung into action in order to “prevent the violation of the state border of the Russian Federation” after it spotted two U.S. Air Force B-1B strategic bombers. According to the Pentagon, the bombers are part of an Air Force Global Strike command formation. “My understanding is that it was a safe and professional interaction,” spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday.

Interceptions are common, but several recent incidents involving Russian aircraft have devolved into hazardous situations. In March, Russian Su-27 conducted a “reckless” maneuver, causing a “crash and complete loss” of a U.S. drone. Earlier this month, a near-collision between a Russian military plane and a Polish aircraft forced NATO to put air police on “higher readiness,” as The Daily Beast reported.