In a maneuver with ominous echoes of the Cold War, a Russian fighter jet 'aggressively' intercepted an American plane over Poland, the Pentagon claims. Filing an official complaint to Russia, the State Department alleges a U.S. RC-135U reconnaissance aircraft was flying near the Baltic Sea in international airspace when a Russian SU-27 Flanker cut into its path. Pentagon officials have slammed the move as 'unprofessional' and 'unsafe'. A Russian jet 'aggressively' intercepted a U.S. RC-135U plane (pictured) over Poland, the Pentagon claims . Spokesman Mark Wright told CNN the Russian jet performed 'aggressive maneuvers' at high speed in close proximity to the plane. He added that the State Department will consequently be filing a complaint to Russia 'through diplomatic channels'. Russia has rubbished claims it was a deliberate and aggressive interception. State news agency Sputnik reported that the jet was circling the plane to determine its tail number, as its transponder was switched off. The Russian SU-27 Flanker 'aggressively' cut into the American plane's path, the spokesman stated . The Pentagon and the U.S. European Command have dismissed the account. The incident occurred almost exactly a year after Pentagon officials accused a Russian fighter jet of purposely flying 100 feet in front of the nose of an American spy plane over the Sea of Okhotsk between Russia and Japan. In August last year, U.S. Air Force spy plane avoided a run-in with the Russian military over Swedish airspace.
U.S. RC-135U plane was flying near Poland when Russian jet 'cut across' Pentagon says Russian SU-27 Flanker made 'aggressive maneuvers' Russia insists they were trying to identify the plane by circling it .