Story highlights A Russian fighter jet came within 10 feet of a US aircraft

Russia has a long history of similar intercepts, which the Pentagon has protested

Washington (CNN) A Russian fighter jet made an "unsafe close-range intercept" of a US aircraft over the Black Sea Wednesday, coming within 10 feet of the American plane.

Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said the potentially dangerous incident, involving a Russian SU-27 jet and a US Navy P-8A Poseidon plane, lasted 19 minutes.

A US official told CNN's Barbara Starr that the Russian plane came within 10 feet of the P-8 at one point. Davis added that the US plane was conducting routine operations in international airspace at the time.

"These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions, and could result in a miscalculation or accident," Davis said in a statement.

The US has long protested Russian intercepts of its aircraft; there have been several this year.

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