Two Russian Su-30 fighters escorted a U.S. Navy patrol aircraft P-8 Poseidon over the Black Sea, preventing it from entering Russian airspace, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

"On the evening of July 6, Russian airspace control devices detected an air target approaching the state border of the Russian Federation over the neutral waters of the Black Sea," it said in a statement.

The fighters were scrambled to identify the air target and prevent it from entering Russian airspace, it added.

The Russian aircraft proceeded in strict compliance with international airspace rules, it said, adding that the state border was not violated.