Russia claims not to have violated airspace use regulations
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed that Russian TU-95 and TU-142 anti-submarine strategic bombers are on their daily routes.
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| Russian strategic bomber. (Source: TASS) |
In an initial response to the incident in which US fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers in international airspace off the coast of Alaska (USA), the Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement affirming that Moscow did not violate international regulations on the use of airspace.
On May 12, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov affirmed that Russian TU-95 and TU-142 anti-submarine strategic bombers are on their daily routes.
Flying with the two aircraft were MiG-31 and SU-35 fighters, and the Russian planes all flew over neutral waters in the Arctic Ocean, the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk, carrying out mid-air refueling.
Russian defense officials affirmed that Russian flights comply with international regulations on the use of airspace and do not violate the borders of other countries.
Previously, CNN reported on May 11 that two US F-22 fighter jets intercepted Russian bombers in international airspace off the coast of Alaska.
Canadian Army Major Andrew Hennessy, spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said that at about 14:00 GMT (21:00 Hanoi time) on May 11, two Russian TU-95 bombers flew into the so-called US Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), located about 200 miles off the west coast of Alaska.
Two Alaska-based F-22s intercepted and visually identified the bombers until they left the ADIZ. The statement also said the Russian aircraft did not violate US airspace.
