Russia’s Ministry of Defense has released a video of the moment two Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets took to the air and escorted a US Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft over the Black Sea, approaching the border.
According to the National Defense Control Center, on Tuesday evening two planes were scrambled after the radar detected a target approaching Russian airspace.
“The crews of the Russian fighters identified the aerial target as a Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft and escorted it over the Black Sea,” the National Defense Control Center said.
The Poseidon, initially introduced in 2013, is a plane currently in use with the US Navy. It can perform military operations against surface ships and submarines, and carries the notorious Harpoon missile.
The Su-30 is a supermaneuverable air-superiority fighter jet built by Russia’s Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer.
The Black Sea is currently seeing increased military activity due to NATO’s Sea Breeze multinational naval exercise. The large-scale drills, which involve the US, UK and Ukraine, as well as a handful of other European nations, are seeing the participation of around 4,000 personnel, 40 warships and 30 aircraft.
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