It was on Friday just before lunch that two Russian Su-27 fighter jets approached an American strategic bomber over the Black Sea. According to the US Defense Headquarters, the Pentagon flew their B-52 in international airspace and over international waters, when the Russian planes turned in front of the nose of the American bomber.

"When the Russian fighter jets operated in international airspace, the flight safety of the exposed aircraft was at risk," said General Jeff Harrigian, commander of the US Air Force in Europe and Africa, in a statement on Saturday.

US B-52 Stratofortress bomber lands at British air base Fairford August 22, 2020. Photo: US Air Force Eugene Oliver

FOI: Risk of collision

According to the United States, the Russian fighter jets were only 30 meters from the B-52 when they repeatedly flew in front of the nose of the American bomber and caused turbulence, which affected the B-52's ability to navigate.

Niklas Granholm, research leader at the Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI), agrees that the Russian maneuver looks dangerous.

- Russian fighter aircraft fly dangerously close. There is a risk of collision and is very risky. When they decide to fly in front of the B-52, there is turbulence. It's shaking. It will be difficult for the B-52 to maneuver before the air has calmed down, he says.

Crisis in Belarus

He adds that this should be seen in the light of the crisis in Belarus and the events of the past week in the Baltic Sea region.

- You can link this to the situation to what has been in recent weeks in the Baltic Sea, several large exercises, even if this was the Black Sea.

The Russian maneuvers with the fighter jets over the Black Sea took place on the same day as the US strategic bombers flew over 30 NATO countries to practice with Allied air force.

- It is a very clear signal to the European allies that this capacity exists. It is a signal to Russia that "we do not think it is a good idea to do anything against Belarus or its allies."

Norwegian F-35 fighter aircraft practice with a US strategic bomber B-52H Stratofortress 28 August 2020. Photo: US Air Force, Burt Traynor

Massive American effort

One week earlier, the United States had placed six B-52s at Fairford Air Base in the United Kingdom. There has also been unusually high aviation activity in the past week in the Baltic Sea area with signal reconnaissance and photo reconnaissance, says Niklas Granholm at FOI.

- It is about getting as clear a picture as possible of what Russia intends to do, he says.