US Scrambles Fighters to Escort Russia's Strategic Bombers
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Four Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers were escorted by US F-22 fighters at certain stages of their scheduled flight at the border between the countries, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"Four Tu-95MS strategic bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces' long-range aviation conducted a scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Chukchi Sea, the Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean ... At several stages of the route, the Russian aircraft were escorted by the US Air Force's F-22 fighters," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that the duration of the flight totaled 11 hours, Sputnik reported.
The ministry stressed that the flight was conducted in strict compliance with international regulations.
The statement comes two days after the Russia military detected the activities of the US B-52H bombers and surveillance planes over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea and scrambled fighter jets to follow them.