A few days after a Russian jet flew within five feet of a U.S. Navy aircraft and intercepted it in an unsafe way, Russia’s defense ministry issued a statement saying that American pilots should stop flying missions near the border or agree to a new set of flight rules. The Russian Defense Ministry also said American pilots should not fly near Russian borders if the thought of Russia protecting its airspace makes them “feel depression” or “succumb to phobias.” The Russian Defense Ministry cited the most recent Jan. 29 incident when a Russian Su-27 intercepted a U.S. Navy EP-3 near the Russian border, which the Navy has said was unsafe. That “buzzing,” or intercept, lasted for 2 hours and 40 minutes, officials have said. The U.S. Navy EP-3 was flying in international airspace over the Black Sea when a Russian Su-27 intercepted the aircraft. “This interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-27 closing to within five feet and crossing directly through the EP-3’s flight path,
Source: Russia to US pilots: ‘Stay away from border if you can’t handle intercepts’ | American Military News