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Russian fighter jet escorts US patrol plane over Pacific, Defense Ministry says

Russia’s National Defense Control Center stressed that the potential violation of Russia’s state border had been prevented

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/. A Russian MiG-31 fighter of the Eastern Military District's air defense duty forces has escorted a US patrol plane over the Pacific Ocean, Russia’s National Defense Control Center reported.

"On July 15, 2021, Russian airspace control measures detected an air target approaching the state border of the Russian Federation over the water area of the Pacific Ocean," the center reported.

It noted that in order to identify the air target and to prevent a violation of Russia’s state border a MiG-31 fighter was scrambled. "The crew of the Russian fighter identified the air target as a Р-8А Poseidon plane of the US Navy patrol aviation and accompanied it over the water area of the Pacific Ocean along the southeastern coast of Kamchatka," the center said.

After the foreign military jet turned away from the Russian state border, the Russian fighter safely returned to its home base. The flight of the Russian fighter was conducted in strict compliance with international airspace laws.

The center stressed that the potential violation of Russia’s state border had been prevented.