An RC-135 U.S. strategic reconnaissance aircraft was escorted by a MiG-31 fighter jet over the Pacific Ocean, the Russian Defence Ministry said Friday, according to reports.
The U.S. aircraft was escorted along the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, TASS news agency reported, according to Reuters. The plane was not in violation of Russia’s borders, the report said.
The reported act of aggression comes at a time that tension between Washington and Moscow seems to be nearing a boiling point.
President Biden on Thursday signed an executive order declaring a “national emergency” over the threat from Russia, and his administration slapped new sanctions on the country. The U.S. Department of State also said it was expelling 10 officials from Russia’s bilateral mission.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a meeting via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 15, 2021. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
During a recent call between the two leaders, Biden told President Vladimir Putin to “de-escalate tensions” following a Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s border and in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula occupied by Russia since 2014.
“Biden emphasized the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to a White House statement. “The President voiced our concerns over the sudden Russian military build-up in occupied Crimea and on Ukraine’s borders.”
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The call came just days after Biden spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky amid heightened worries over the military buildup. On Wednesday, more than 100,000 Russian troops in assault vehicles painted with “invasion stripes” were headed to the border, according to the New York Post.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Brussels this week to meet with counterparts from Italy, France, Germany, and the U.K. They discussed the ongoing tensions in Ukraine amid what they called “Russian provocation,” according to the State Department.
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The U.S. Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a late-night email from Fox News seeking comment on the report of the flight near the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Fox News’ Tyler Olson, Alex Pappas, Edmund DeMarche, and The Associated Press contributed to this report