A Russian MiG-31 "Foxhound" fighter jet pilot recorded the interception of a US Air Force RC-135 "Rivet Joint" strategic reconnaissance aircraft over the Pacific Ocean, near Russia's Kamchatka region on Apr. 16, 2021, roughly a day after President Biden signed a new sanctions executive order on Russia.

“A MiG-31 fighter jet was scrambled from an airfield in the Kamchatka region to identify and escort the plane. The crew identified it as a US RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft,” the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed in a statement.

The RC-135V/W is the USAF's primary signal intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft. The mission crew operates technologically advanced electronic warfare equipment that identifies, locates, and collects enemy communication signals and relays that info to wherever it is most needed.