Russia says one of its jets escorted a US intelligence plane over the Baltic Sea

MOSCOW — The Russian military says it scrambled a fighter jet to escort a U.S. intelligence plane over the Baltic Sea.

The Defense Ministry did not say when the incident happened as it released a video shot from the Su-27 fighter’s cockpit as it was approaching the U.S. RC-135 aircraft. It added Thursday that the fighter returned to its base after the U.S. plane flew away.

RELATED

Russian fighter comes within feet of Air Force recon plane

A Russian fighter flew "within several feet" of an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea Monday in the latest in a series of alarmingly close encounters between the two militaries.

By Stephen Losey

Russia has repeatedly said that the U.S. and its NATO allies have increased the number of intelligence missions alongside Russia's borders in recent years, describing them as part of the alliance's buildup that threatens Russia's security.

The U.S. and NATO have frequently complained that Russian fighters escorting their warplanes perform dangerous maneuvers, the claims Moscow has rejected.

RELATED

Russia: U.S. RC-135 flight in Sea of Japan was a safety risk

Russia's Defense Ministry has spelled out why it believes a U.S. reconnaissance flight over the Sea of Japan was a safety risk, saying the plane risked colliding with civilian airliners.

In Other News

Rollback of DOD anti-extremism efforts coming in 2025, experts predict

The piecemeal progress of extremism-prevention efforts during the past four years is more than can be expected out of the Pentagon in 2025, experts said.

From Grinch greetings to Santa sightings, the holidays come to troops

Holiday helpers have been busy, as plenty of organizations and individuals have been working to make the days a bit brighter for troops and their families.

Will most troops move under new household goods program in 2025?

More than half of installations in the continental United States are moving troops' shipments under the new system.

VA to resume new electronic health record rollout in mid-2026

The project was scheduled to take 10 years and cost $16 billion. Nearly eight years later, only six of VA’s 170-plus medical sites are using the software.

Suicides among veterans remain unchanged despite federal focus

The figures are the latest available from federal census data and suggest limited progress on the issue of suicide prevention by Veterans Affairs leaders.

Load More