The Pentagon will keep conducting its surveillance flights over the Black Sea near Russian borders , Joint Staff Director Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr. said.
"We fly in international airspace. The Black Sea's international airspace. We had every right in the world to be there. Those flights will continue," McKenzie said, adding that the interception of the US plane was an unsafe and unprofessional action by the Russians.
The US State Department harshly criticized the interception claiming that Moscow was harassing an American plane over international waters and thus flouting international laws.
However, Russia's Defense Ministry said that the intercept was conducted in strict compliance with international aviation rules and was necessary to prevent the Aries from violating Russian airspace.
