Russia intercepts three US Navy aircraft
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US Navy Captain says his country sent concerns to Russian officials after Russian planes intercepted three US Navy aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea last weekend.
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US Navy aircraft (Archive)
The US Pentagon announced Wednesday that three US Navy aircraft were intercepted by Russian planes in an "unprofessional" manner over the Mediterranean Sea last weekend.
"While no one was hurt, interactions such as these could result in miscalculations and mistakes that lead to more dangerous outcomes," US Navy Captain Mike Kafka said in a statement.
The three P-8A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft "experienced unprofessional intercepts by Russian aircraft" while "flying in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea," Kafka alleged.
He mentioned that the US has made its "concerns known to Russian officials through diplomatic channels."
"The US will continue to operate safely, professionally and consistent with international law in international waters and airspace," Kafka claimed. "We expect Russia to do the same."
A US official who asked to remain anonymous also claimed that one of the Russian planes came dangerously close to a US aircraft.
The incident comes amid NATO and Western accusations of an alleged Russian plan to "invade" Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly rejected such accusations, stating that it does intend to threaten anyone and is not going to attack Kyiv, pointing out that the Western claims are used as a pretext to deploy more NATO military equipment near Russian borders.
