Russian fighter escorts US intelligence plane over Baltic

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

The Defence 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.

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 manoeuvrs, the claims Moscow has rejected.