"The crew of the Russian fighter consistently approached a safe distance to the air targets and identified them as the US Air Force RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft and the US Navy R-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft," TASS reports the National Center for Defense Control (NTSUO ) Russia.
On July 31, the Russian National Defense Control Center also reported that the Su-27 intercepted a US Navy radio-technical reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea.