US B-52H bombers operate near Crimea, Russia dispatches 8 fighter squadrons to intercept
Russia's Southern Military District deployed eight Su-27 and Su-30 fighters to closely monitor three US B-52 bombers operating near the Crimean peninsula.
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| Russian Su-27 fighter jets monitor US B-52H bombers on August 28. Photo: USAF. |
"Four Su-27 and four Su-30 fighters of the Southern Military District's air defense task force were deployed to intercept a group of US bombers over the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, preventing them from illegally entering Russian airspace. All Russian aircraft strictly complied with the regulations on the use of international airspace," the Russian National Defense Control Center (NDCC) said in a statement on September 4.
Russian planes returned to base after US bombers diverted away from the country's airspace.
Data on aviation tracking sites shows that three B-52H bombers with call signs "Julia 51, 52 and 53" took off from Fairford air base in the UK, entered Ukrainian airspace and flew in a closed orbit over the port city of Henichesk, bordering the Sea of Azov and the Crimean peninsula. All three US aircraft then returned to Fairford base.
At the same time, a series of US and British reconnaissance and signals intelligence aircraft were also present near the Crimean peninsula, including an RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, an Airseeker aircraft and a Sentinel R1 aircraft. They appeared to be deployed to collect intelligence data on the response capabilities and electronic signals of Russian forces when intercepting the B-52H flight.
Washington and Moscow regularly send bombers or reconnaissance aircraft close to each other’s airspace. The two countries’ aircraft often encounter each other during these missions, but the approach and surveillance are usually professional and safe. Russian fighters have repeatedly forced US and NATO military aircraft to divert when they approach the border.
The Pentagon released a video on August 30 showing a Russian Su-27 fighter jet cutting off a B-52H bomber, causing it to shake as it entered a turbulence zone. "The Russian pilots acted in an unsafe and unprofessional manner by turning on their afterburners while flying within 30 meters of the nose of the B-52, causing turbulence and limiting the bomber's maneuverability," the US Department of Defense said in a statement.
Previously, the Russian Ministry of Defense also released a video of two Su-27 fighters, believed to have originated from the Crimean peninsula, locking tails of B-52H bombers over the Black Sea, forcing the US aircraft to change course away from the Russian border. However, the Russian video did not show the Su-27 fighter pilot cutting off the B-52H.
