Russian fighter Su-30 escorted the US P-8A reconnaissance plane over the Black Sea on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry’s National Defense Control Center (NDCC) told reporters.

According to the center, Russian radars detected a target approaching the Russian state border over neutral Black Sea waters earlier today.

“To identify the air target and prevent it from crossing the Russian state border, a Su-30 fighter from the Southern Military District Air Defense Force was dispatched. The Russian fighter’s crew identified the air target as a US Navy P-8A reconnaissance aircraft and escorted it over the waters of the Black Sea, ”NDCC said.

After the foreign military aircraft turned away from the border of the Russian state, the Russian fighter returned safely to the airfield, it was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of the airspace.

Russia expects to adopt with replacement of US for expiration of new START treaty

Russia hopes that following the dialogue with the United States on strategic stability, it will be possible to adopt an agreement to replace the expiring Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), said the Minister. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

“The first year of the five-year extension [of the treaty] will fall on February 5 of next year. A dialogue on strategic stability has already been initiated, which will lead, we hope, to the signing of an agreement or a series of documents which will allow us to find the right replacement for this START treaty, which expires in a little more than four years, ”Ryabkov told Russian newspaper Izvestia.

Moscow and Washington have worked rather well under the current treaty, he noted, listing bilateral advisory committee meetings and information exchange as part of good cooperation under the deal. .

“As the epidemiological situation improves, the practice of mutual inspection visits will be restored,” Ryabkov added.

There are some issues in other areas of cooperation but the parties are working on them, the diplomat noted.

The new START treaty, in force since February 5, 2011, requires each party to gradually reduce its nuclear arsenal to a total of 700 rockets, 1,550 warheads and 800 launchers. In February 2021, Moscow and Washington extended the agreement for another five years without any renegotiation of its terms and it is now due to expire on February 5, 2026. Any further extension of the agreement is ruled out according to the document.