U.S. says Russia conducted unsafe intercept of Navy plane

A Russian jet fighter intercepted a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft three times on Tuesday while in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea, the U.S. Sixth Fleet said.

The intercepts of the P-8A Poseidon took place over the course of three hours, and while two were safe, one was a high-speed pass that caused wake turbulence and put the "pilots and crew at risk," the Sixth Fleet said in a statement. Although the Russian aircraft "was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible. We expect them to behave within international standards set to ensure safety and prevent incidents."

The Navy also said the U.S. aircraft was operating "consistent with international law and did not provoke this Russian activity."

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