U.S. Military officials released a video Monday showing a Russian Air Force jet conducting a dangerous maneuver against an American aircraft near the coast of Alaska on September 23.
In the 15-second video, a Russian SU-35 can be seen flying to within several feet of a U.S. F-16 that was attempting to intercept an accompanying TU-95 bomber traveling near American airspace.
The brief encounter brought criticism from the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s leader, Gen. Gregory Guillot, who called the incursion “unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all, not what you’d see in a professional air force.”
The incident follows Russia's completion of joint aviation exercises near Alaska with China in July, marking the first time they operated together in the area.
Media requests for comment on the matter from the Russian Embassy in Washington went unanswered.
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