US Military Accuses Russia of ‘Unsafe’ Interactions with US Air Force Planes

At a time in which much of the world around us is suffering, (from one thing or another), there are some nefarious world leaders who appear ready to take advantage of this mass sorrow for their own personal gain.

China was routinely accused of downplaying the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak that originated in Wuhan in order to catch the rest of the world off-guard, for instance.

Now it appears as though Russian President Vladimir Putin, a man known for his ruthlessness, is looking to provoke the world’s preeminent superpower amid a very real fight to keep coronavirus under control.

Two Russian aircraft made an “unsafe, unprofessional” intercept of a US Air Force B-52 bomber on Friday over the Black Sea and in international waters, according to a statement from US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Public Affairs.

The Russia pilots crossed within 100 feet of the nose of the B-52 multiple times and also caused turbulence to the B-52 restricting its ability to maneuver, according to the statement.

“Actions like these increase the potential for midair collisions, are unnecessary, and inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules,” said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander, in the statement.

“While the Russian aircraft were operating in international airspace, they jeopardized the safety of flight of the aircraft involved. We expect them to operate within international standards set to ensure safety and prevent accidents,” he said.

This is far from the first time that the Russian military has taken literal aim at American aircraft in the region, but, knowing what we know about 2020 thus far, we might not want to take any chances here.