Russian fighter escorts German patrol plane over Baltic Sea

A Russian Su-27 fighter jet escorted a German patrol plane over the Baltic Sea on Wednesday to prevent it from entering Russia's airspace, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

According to the ministry, after detecting an air target over the Baltic Sea approaching Russia's airspace, the Russian military flied a Su-27 fighter from the air defense forces of the Western Military District to identify the target and prevent it from violating Russia's state border.

The Russian jet escorted the plane, which was confirmed as an R-3C Orion base patrol aircraft of the German navy, over the Baltic sea and then safely returned to its base airfield, said the ministry.

The Russian fighter carried out the mission "in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace over neutral waters without crossing air routes and dangerously approaching an aircraft of a foreign state," it added.