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Russian jet flew dangerously close to American plane, says U.S.

In a scene one U.S. defense official described as "straight out of a movie," a Russian fighter jet buzzed a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane over international waters on April 23.

By JC Finley
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, pictured on April 6, 2014. (UPI/Keizo Mori)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, pictured on April 6, 2014. (UPI/Keizo Mori) | License Photo

WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) -- A Russian fighter jet flew dangerously close to a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane in late April over waters between Russia and Japan.

The April 23 incident occurred at the height of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, shortly after Russia declared its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.

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A senior U.S. defense department official spoke with CNN about the dangerous Russian aerial maneuver.

In a scene "straight out of a movie," a Russian Su-27 Flanker aircraft intercepted a U.S. Air Force RC-135U aircraft, flying just 100 feet above the American plane's nose in what the official described as "one of the most dangerous close passes in decades." The Russian jet then "showed its belly" to the U.S. crew in order to show it was armed with missiles.

The fly-by, the official said, "put the lives of the U.S. crew in jeopardy."

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu discussed the incident during a phone call on April 28. According to the Russian defense ministry, the defense minister "offered to instruct the commanders in chief of the armed forces of both countries to discuss possible additional measures to address the interests of both countries to prevent future misperceptions of actions."

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