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 ' he plane’s path and shot it down, killing all on board.