Internet-leaked Pentagon and US intelligence data indicate that a Russian Su-27 fighter discharged a missile close to a British RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and nearly shot it down, according to The Washington Post.
The incident reportedly occurred on September 29 of last year, off the coast of Crimea, the newspaper reported, adding that a classified document describes the incident as a “near-shoot down of UK RJ.”
The Russian missile was fired at the spy plane, but British Defense Minister Ben Owless explained that this was due to a technical malfunction.
The incident could have “directly” drawn the United States and its NATO allies into the Ukraine conflict, according to The Washington Post.
In addition, a map of the Black Sea with a line depicted approximately 80.4 kilometres from the coast and labelled SECDEF Directed Standoff recently leaked to the network, indicating that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin most likely ordered American pilots to keep planes away from the peninsula.
The Su-27 fighter is designed for long- and short-range air combat, interception and destruction of enemy aircraft, and support for fleet actions 300–400 kilometres from the coast. It is armed with a GSH-301 automatic single-barrel gun and can transport up to six R-27 or four R-73 air-to-air missiles. The flight range is 3,250 kilometres, and the utmost payload is 6 tonnes.
In March, a US MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed in the Black Sea after being intercepted by Russian fighter fighters. The Russian Defense Ministry asserts that the drone crashed due to sharp manoeuvring, whereas the United States claims that one Russian aircraft struck the drone’s propeller.
In August of last year, Russia intercepted a US RC-135 surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea, and in November, the Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting a UK RC-135 near Crimea.
