Russia has intercepted two US Air Force strategic bombers flying over the Baltic Sea. The Russian defense ministry said on Tuesday Russia had scrambled a Su-27 fighter jet to “prevent violations of the state border” by the American bombers, AFP reported.
“After removing the foreign military aircraft from the Russian state border, the Russian fighter went back to its air base,” the ministry added. The statement said that “the flight of the Russian fighter was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace.”
In Washington, the Pentagon confirmed that Russia intercepted the US bombers. Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said the B-1 bombers were taking part in a “long-planned exercise in Europe.”
Earlier this month, Russia intercepted two NATO aircraft, one German and one French, which were attempting to “violate” its airspace. The Russian defense ministry said the Su-27 fighter jet intercepted and escorted a German P-3C Orion patrol plane and a French navy’s Atlantique 2 anti-submarine patrol aircraft.
In April, a Russian fighter jet escorted a German naval aircraft over the Baltic Sea. In March, a US drone crashed after colliding with a Russian jet over the Black Sea. Earlier this month, US warplanes intercepted six Russian fighter jets in international airspace near Alaska, the state where US troops held military drills, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
NORAD announced last week that it “detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted” Russian TU-95 bombers, IL-78 tankers and SU-35 fighter jets operating in and near the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on May 11.
NORAD is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection for Canada and the United States.