Moscow, March 7 (IANS) A US reconnaissance aircraft was intercepted approaching the Russian airspace over the Baltic Sea, the Defence Ministry said here on Thursday.

A Russian Su-27 fighter jet approached the target at a safe distance and identified it as an RC-135 reconnaissance plane of the US Air Force, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

"The Russian fighter jet returned safely to its home base after the foreign aircraft flew away from the Russian border," it added.

--IANS ksk/mr