Story highlights Encounter described by US Navy as "safe and professional"

US official said pilot took photos of US plane

Washington (CNN) A Russian military jet "came within approximately 20 feet" of a US Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance plane while it was flying in international airspace over the Black Sea earlier this week, US Navy Capt. Pamela Kunze told CNN on Friday.

The encounter occurred on Tuesday and was described by the US Navy as "safe and professional."

"Distance is only one of many variables considered when defining what is safe and professional," Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said. "For aviation interactions, distance, speed, altitude, rate of closure, visibility and other factors impact whether an event is characterized as safe or unsafe, professional or not professional."

A US defense official told CNN that the Russian aircraft was armed with six air-to-air missiles and that the pilot took photos of the US plane during the encounter.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, "The Russian fighter carried out a 'greeting' maneuver. After that, the US surveillance aircraft changed his flying course away from the Russian border."

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