Russia says U.S. air force threatens civil aviation

The dangerous actions of the U.S. Air Force have created a threat to civil aviation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Sunday.

In a Telegram post, Zakharova expressed concern over the increased intensity of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) aircraft flights near the Russian border, including over the Black Sea.

She said that on Friday, a U.S. CL 600 surveillance plane descended from 11,000 to 9,200 meters over the Black Sea, near the area of responsibility of Russian air traffic services, and disturbed the routes of two civil planes.

The crew of the reconnaissance aircraft did not respond to repeated requests from the Russian air traffic services, Zakharova stressed.

The Russian air traffic controllers ensured the safety of the civil planes by promptly changing their direction and altitude, she recalled.

"If now a catastrophe has been averted in the airspace over the open waters of the Black Sea, this does not mean the United States and NATO can further put people's lives at risk with impunity," she wrote, noting that the aviation authorities will lodge a protest through diplomatic channels.