Multiple U.S. Navy aircraft had a close encounter with Russian aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea last weekend, according to the Pentagon.
Three U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft were flying when a Russian aircraft pursued “unprofessional intercepts,” U.S. Navy Capt. Mike Kafka, the director of Defense Press Operations, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday.
The Russian aircraft came within a matter of roughly 5 feet of the U.S. jets, according to multiple outlets.
“We have made our concerns known to Russian officials through diplomatic channels,” he added. “While no one was hurt, interactions such as these could result in miscalculations and mistakes that lead to more dangerous outcomes. The US will continue to operate safely, professionally and consistent with international law in international waters and airspace. We expect Russia to do the same.”
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The incident between the Navy and the Russian military comes amid the fear of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has amassed more than 150,000 troops along the Ukrainian border in Russia and Belarus, President Joe Biden said on Tuesday, a day after Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that Russia increased its capabilities at the border. Simultaneously, Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated a willingness to go back to diplomacy, and he said he withdrew some troops from the border, though U.S. and NATO officials have said they haven’t seen evidence of it.
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The Biden administration has sought a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, with Biden and other administration officials speaking with their Ukrainian and Russian counterparts. The president has also deployed roughly 6,000 troops to neighboring countries. Administration officials have also called on all Americans to leave Ukraine immediately.
