Russian Ministry of Defense statement:
On September 7, 2016US Navy reconnaissance aircraft P-8 “Poseidon” tried twice to get close to the state border of the Russian Federation over the Black Sea without transponders.
Su-27 fighters from Belbek airbase were scrambled. When Russian fighters approached the US reconnaissance aircraft for visual identification, American plane abruptly changed course to the opposite direction from the Russian border.
Russian pilots have acted in strict accordance with international rules. This is not the first attempt a NATO aircraft to get close to the border of the Russian Federation for reconnaissance of strategic command and staff exercises “Caucasus-2016”.
