Russia dismisses US claim about fighter interception

Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday dismissed the U.S. claim that a Russian fighter flew dangerously close to a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea when intercepting it.

According to the ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov, the incident took place on Tuesday when a Russian Suhhoi Su-27 fighter on duty spotted an unknown target over the Baltic Sea that was moving toward the Russian border.

The fighter jet was dispatched to intercept the target and identified it as a U.S. Air Force RC-135U reconnaissance plane. The U.S. plane changed its course and moved away from the Russian border after the Russian jet flew around it several times.

"No incidents occurred during the interception," said Konashenkov.

"As to the judgement about the professionalism of Russian pilots, this is up to the Russian side, and the U.S. reconnaissance aircraft can only perform routine fights near the U.S. borders," the spokesman said in response to the Pentagon claim that the U.S. reconnaissance plane "was flying a routine route in international airspace," and was intercepted by a Russian fighter jet "in an unsafe and unprofessional manner." 
  Xinhua, china.org.cn
12/4/15
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