U.S. naval forces counted at least three flights of Russian military aircraft over its destroyer, the USS Porter in the Black Sea according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Lieutenant-Colonel Michelle Baldanza claimed that all of the incidents occurred on February 10 and were considered by the Porter’s commander to be unsafe and unprofessional.

"The destroyer Porter was sending requests to all of the aircraft and received no answer. The Russian planes disabled their transponders," Baldanza said. ''Such incidents cause concern because they could lead to accidents and miscalculations."

The ship was carrying out a routine patrol in international waters after the Sea Shield exercise, Baldanza added. According to her, the U.S. Navy’s warships and aircraft in the region adhere to international laws and standards of safety.

The representative of the European Command of the U.S. Armed Forces, Captain Danny Hernandez said that three flights over the American ship were recorded. First, it was approached by two Russian Aerospace Forces Su-24 bombers. The second time, it was approached by one Su-24. The third time, it was approached by an IL-38 anti-submarine aircraft.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that it surprised by the Pentagon’s concern. "There were no incidents on February 10 in connection with the flight of Russian military aircraft in the Black Sea near the U.S. Navy destroyer Porter," said the official representative of the department, Major-General Igor Konashenkov.

According to Konashenkov, all of the Russian aircraft conducted flights over the neutral waters of the Black Sea in accordance with international laws and safety requirements.

  USA, Russia, Aircraft, USS Porter, Su-24

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