Moscow: Russia scrambled a Su-30 fighter to intercept a US reconnaissance plane over the Black Sea, Defence Ministry officials said on Friday. The Russian air control detected a target approaching the Russian border over the neutral waters of the Black Sea on Tuesday, Defence Ministry officials said in a statement here.

The Su-30 fighter then took off and the pilot visually identified the air object as a US reconnaissance aircraft P-8A Poseidon at a safe distance, Xinhua news agency reported. The statement said the Russian jet performed a manoeuvre to "greet" the pilots of the US plane, the latter then changed route and flew away from the Russian border. The Su-30 fighter then returned to its airbase.