Russia Releases Footage Of Ultra Close B-52 Intercept That US Slammed As ‘Unsafe’

Via AlMasdarNews.com,

The Russian news portal, Top War, released video footage on Saturday of the August 28th interception of a U.S. military aircraft over the Black Sea.

“In the South, after receiving a signal about the target, which is heading to the state border, two Su-27 fighters took to the air over the neutral waters of the Black Sea. The pilots identified the target as a U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bomber,” Top War reported.

In the nearly 30-second-long footage, the Russian Su-27 jet can be seen closely approaching the U.S. B-52 bomber, coming within 30 meters of the aforementioned aircraft, according the U.S. Air Force commander in Europe, General Jeffrey Harrigan.

The interception incident was later slammed by the U.S. Air Force chief as being ‘unsafe’, as CNN relates of the incident:

The Russia pilots crossed within 100 feet of the nose of the B-52 multiple times and also caused turbulence to the B-52 restricting its ability to maneuver, according to the statement.

“Actions like these increase the potential for midair collisions, are unnecessary, and inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules,” Gen. Jeff Harrigian, US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander said.

Meanwhile, the US Air Force released its own footage showing the same incident from the B-52 bomber’s perspective:

USAF video of an ‘unsafe and unprofessional’ intercept of a B-52 by a Russian SU-27 over the Black Sea. pic.twitter.com/k7lzNseIJJ

— Andy Netherwood (@AndyNetherwood) August 30, 2020

“While the Russian aircraft were operating in international airspace, they jeopardized the safety of flight of the aircraft involved. We expect them to operate within international standards set to ensure safety and prevent accidents,” he added.