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

A P-8A Poseidon.
(Image credit: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric A. Pastor/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

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."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.