The photo shows the US spy P-8 Poseido intercepted by Russian.

Russia has intercepted a US spy plane over the Black Sea, the third such incident in less than a week, the Russian Defense Ministry says.

Russian Su-27 intercepted a US reconnaissance plane today over the Black Sea as close encounters with #Russian military continues. #Russia #Putin @TheWarMonitor @ChristopherJM @Natsecjeff pic.twitter.com/IivZaaBinp

— intelfeedia (@intelfeedia) July 27, 2020

The ministry said it had sent a Su-27 fighter jet on Monday to intercept the US spy plane that was scanning Russia�s southern borders, some 8,000 kilometers away from the United States.

According to the ministry, the US plane, identified as a P-8 Poseidon, was forced to change course and move away from the Russian borders after the interception.

The violation of the Russian border wasn�t allowed, the ministry said.

The interception was the third in less than a week. The Russian air force escorted a Р-8А Poseidon plane away from the country�s airspace on Thursday and Friday.

American bombers and spy planes, as well as NATO aircraft, have frequently been detected near Russia�s borders.

The provocative flights have increased since 2014, when Crimea joined Russia following a referendum in which more than 90 percent of participants voted in favor of separating from Ukraine, and when the ongoing military conflict in eastern Ukraine broke out.