US EP-3 Intercepted by Russian SU-27 in the Black Sea (See in Action, Video)

A U.S. EP-3 Aries aircraft flying in international airspace over the Black Sea was intercepted by a Russian SU-27, on Nov. 5, 2018.

This interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-27 conducting a high speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft, putting at risk the pilots and crew.

The intercepting SU-27 made an additional pass, closing with the EP-3 and applying its afterburner while conducting a banking turn away.

The crew of the EP-3 reported turbulence following the first interaction, and vibrations from the second.

(The U.S. aircraft was operating in accordance with international law and did not provoke this Russian activity. Courtesy of the U.S. Navy and YouTube. Posted on Nov 5, 2018.)

The duration of the intercept was approximately 25 minutes.

A Twitter account for the Russian embassy in the United States tweeted regarding  the encounter on Monday saying the fighter jet “followed all necessary safety procedures.”

“The Su-27 jet’s crew reported identifying the #US EP-3 Aries spy plane and accompanied it, preventing a violation of Russian airspace and followed all necessary safety procedures,” the tweet said.

The Su-27 jet’s crew reported identifying the #US EP-3 Aries spy plane and accompanied it, preventing a violation of Russian airspace and followed all necessary safety procedures – @MoD_Russia🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/eUIl5Xbczf

— Russia in USA 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbUSA) November 5, 2018

While the Russian military is within its right to exercise within international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible.

We expect them to behave within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents, including the 1972 Agreement for the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas (INCSEA).

Unsafe actions‎ increase the risk of miscalculation and potential for midair collisions.

The U.S. aircraft was operating in accordance with international law and did not provoke this Russian activity.

The most recent incident of a Russian military aircraft performing an unsafe intercept over the Black Sea was in January 2018, when another SU-27 jet came within 7 feet of a U.S. Navy surveillance plane.

Following the January incident, the US State Department issued a statement accusing the Russians of “flagrantly violating existing agreements and international law.”