Warsaw: Over the Black Sea, a Polish plane patrolling for the EU's border agency was intercepted by a Russian fighter jet, causing the pilots to momentarily lose control of the aircraft, Warsaw reported on Sunday.
The Russian Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft allegedly did not establish radio contact before engaging in "aggressive and dangerous manoeuvres, approaching the border guard plane three times without keeping to the required safety distance," according to Poland's border force. According to the statement, the crew of the Polish plane briefly "lost control of the aircraft and lost altitude" due to significant turbulence.
According to Warsaw, the Russian plane flew close to the aircraft's nose and crossed its path at a distance of "about five metres."
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The incident was first reported by Romania's defence ministry, which denounced Moscow's "aggressive and dangerous" behaviour on Saturday night.
The Polish border patrol plane was reportedly being intercepted on a routine Frontex patrol with Romanian border police on Friday. The Polish plane then made a secure landing in Romania.
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NATO placed Spanish and Romanian planes on "pre-alert" at the time of the incident, the Romanian statement added.
According to the ministry, it happened "in international airspace over the Black Sea," about 60 km (37 miles) east of Romania's airspace.
"This incident is additional proof of the Russian Federation's provocative approach in the Black Sea," claimed Bucharest. The European border agency Frontex did not immediately respond when contacted by AFP.
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Part of a Frontex operation organised by Romania that also includes Spain and Sweden, the Polish plane has been deployed in Romania as of April 19 and is scheduled to remain there until May 17.