US claims Russian jet came within 10 feet of US spy plane
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A Russian fighter jet carried out an "unsafe and unprofessional" intercept of a US spy plane flying a regular patrol over the Black Sea, coming within 10 feet (3.05 meters) of the American aircraft, according to two US defense officials. The incident comes at a time of increased tensions between the United States and Russia, who are on opposing sides of the Syrian civil war.
One official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the incident lasted about 19 minutes and that the Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter came within 10 feet of the US Navy P-8 surveillance plane.
"They're up there for 12 hours and there are lots of interactions. But only one of the incidents was what the pilot determined was unsafe," said another official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. Officials have reportedly talked with the pilot and are reviewing the incident to determine whether it should be included in the annual meeting of US and Russian officials about more serious intercepts.
