Ministry of Defense: Russian fighters do not violate international flight rules

All flights of Russian aircraft take place in accordance with the international rules for using airspace. This was stated by the official representative of the Ministry of Defense, General Igor Konashenkov, reports TASS.

“We are already starting to get used to the insults of the Pentagon representatives relatively allegedly“ unprofessional ”maneuvers of our fighters when intercepting American intelligence aircraft among the Russian borders,” Konashenkov noted. “At the same time, we want to pay attention to the fact that the RC-135U reconnaissance aircraft is still trying to creep on to the Russian border with the transponder turned off. Therefore We have to raise a fighter into the air in order to visually identify the type of aircraft and its on -board number. "

"This problem of US Air Force has two solutions: either not to fly near our borders, or to include a transponder for automatic identification by our radar means of objective control," the general said.

On Friday, international airspace over the Baltic Sea, the Su-27 made a dangerous maneuver next to the US Air Force Air Force aircraft RC-135. The Russian fighter performed a “barrel” (a turn around the longitudinal axis 360 degrees while maintaining a flight direction) at a distance of about 30 meters from the American aircraft.

"This dangerous and unprofessional air interception could provoke serious damage and injuries of all crew members. It is more important that these dangerous and unprofessional actions of one pilot can escalate excessive tension between our countries," said Pentagon, Michelle Baldance.

This is the second similar incident in two weeks. On April 14, the Russian Su-27 fighter during an “eccentric and aggressive maneuver” was intercepted by the American RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft , which made a planned flight in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea. The fighter appeared to the left of the American plane and, having completed the figure of the "barrel", flew over it from above. The distance to the tip of the wing RC-135 did not exceed 15 meters. Once to the right of the American aircraft, the Su-27 left.

Danny Ernandez regarded the actions of the Russian pilot, the representative of the European Command of the Armed Forces of the United States as “dangerous and unprofessional,” noting that they were fraught with “excessive escalation of tension between the two countries”. The military emphasized that the RC-135 did not invade the borders of the Russian airspace. Washington protested Moscow in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said that the information of the "foreign media" about the incident over the Baltic "is not true." According to the security officer, the Su-27 took off, after the air defense forces discovered an unknown object over the Baltic Sea, heading to the Russian border at high speed, and the task of departure was the identification of this object.

“After visual contact with the Russian Su-27 aircraft, the RC-135U reconnaissance aircraft changed the course to the opposite side of the Russian border,” Konashenkov continued. He emphasized that the flight of a Russian fighter "took place strictly in accordance with the international rules for using airspace, there were no emergency situations."

On Wednesday night, Russian Su-24 bombers flew twice on a shaving flight over the deck of the American destroyer Donald Cook, which was in neutral waters. The planes were not equipped with weapons, but they performed maneuvers reminiscent of an air attack on the ship.

On April 14 , Konashenkov, however, said that the Su-24 crews observed all security measures. He regarded the US reaction to the maneuvers of the bombers as unreasonably painful.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry called the behavior of the Russian military reckless and provocative. “According to the rules of interaction, the plane could be shot down,” the head of the State Department emphasized. He expressed the hope that "it would not happen again."