A Russian fighter conducted an "unsafe" intercept of a US reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea, the US military said Tuesday.

"On June 19, a US RC-135U flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea was intercepted by a Russian SU-27 Flanker," Europe Command spokesman Captain Joseph Alonso said in a statement.

"Due to the high rate of closure speed and poor control of the aircraft during the intercept, this interaction was determined to be unsafe."

Russian planes routinely intercept US jets in the skies near the Baltics and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, but the Pentagon says most of these are deemed to be safe and professional.

Monday's intercept comes at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and the United States over recent events in Syria.

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The first meeting in a much-touted new diplomatic and defense dialogue between the United States and China will take place in Washington on June 21, the State Department announced Thursday. North Korea's nuclear weapons program is likely to top the agenda for next week's talks, which follow Pentagon chief Jim Mattis's assurances to Asian allies that the initiative will not compromise US oppo ... read more

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