No border violations were committed: Russian air defense forces escorted NATO reconnaissance aircraft

The air defense forces of the Black Sea and Baltic fleets escorted the P-8A Poseidon and U-2S aircraft of the US Navy and the P-3C Orion of the German Air Force. This was announced by the National Defense Control Center of the Russian Federation.

"On July 22, 2020, radar reconnaissance systems of the air defense duty forces of the Black Sea and Baltic fleets revealed the actions of the P-8A Poseidon and U-2S reconnaissance aircraft of the US Navy over the Black Sea, as well as the R-3C reconnaissance aircraft." Orion "of the German Air Force over the Baltic Sea", - said in the message. 

The air defense forces of the Black Sea and Baltic fleets escorted the aircraft, no violation of the state border of the Russian Federation was allowed.

Earlier, the National Defense Control Center of the Russian Federation noted that the Black Sea Fleet forces are monitoring the ships and aircraft of the NATO Joint Naval Forces (OVMS) participating in the Ukrainian-American exercises Sea Breeze - 2020 in the Black Sea. 

"The forces and means of the Black Sea Fleet are carrying out a set of measures to monitor the actions of the ships and aviation of the NATO Allied Naval Forces participating in the Sea Breeze - 2020 exercises," TASS reports the center.

They recalled that the active phase of the exercises is taking place in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.

The maneuvers involved ships and aircraft of the US Navy and partner countries: Ukraine, Bulgaria, Georgia, Norway, France, Romania, Spain and Turkey. The exercise began on July 20 and will last seven days.

Recall that the Russian armed forces regularly have to raise their aircraft in connection with the approach of the military aviation of NATO countries to the borders of Russia. 

So, on July 14, Russian fighters were raised to intercept reconnaissance aircraft of the Norwegian Air Force and the US Navy, which were discovered over the Barents and Black Seas. Air targets flying over the waters of these seas in the direction of the Russian state border were detected by Russian airspace control equipment. We are talking about the P-3C Orion reconnaissance aircraft of the Norwegian Air Force, which was above the Barents Sea, and over the Black Sea - the P-8A Poseidon, RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and the US Air Force MQ-9A Reaper drone.

To identify and intercept the aircraft, fighters from the air defense forces of the Northern Fleet and the Southern Military District were raised. The fighters of the Russian Federation accompanied the aircraft and the drone at a safe distance; there was no violation of the Russian state border.

Before that, on July 11, Russian fighters Su-35S and MiG-31BM flew to intercept a US reconnaissance aircraft over the Sea of ​​Japan. According to the Ministry of Defense, an air target was discovered over the neutral waters of the Sea of ​​Japan, which was flying in the direction of the Russian border - it turned out to be an RC-135 US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft. To intercept the target, fighters from the air defense forces on duty in the Eastern Military District took off.

On July 1, another US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft was spotted over the Black Sea. To intercept, they raised multipurpose Su-27s, which approached the air target and identified it as an RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft of the US Air Force, after which it headed for a distance from the state border of the Russian Federation. 

In addition, at the end of April, two Russian Su-27 fighters escorted an F-16 of the Belgian Air Force. The press service of the Baltic Fleet explained that the crews of the naval aviation were making scheduled flights over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, when the means of control discovered an air target that was heading to the state border of the Russian Federation.

To identify it, two Su-27 fighters were sent, which provided cover in the area of ​​performing combat training missions by Russian crews.

"The pilots of the Russian fighters, after the rendezvous, identified the F-16 aircraft, its side number, belonging to the Belgian Air Force and took it for escort," the message said.

After the foreign aircraft changed the flight course from the Russian border, the fighters continued to perform planned combat training missions.