Russian Tu-95 flies in neutral zone, US declares successful interception
Two Tu-95MS aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces have performed a flight over the neutral waters of the Bering Sea as part of the Ocean Shield-2019 exercise, the Defense Ministry said.
The Russian Defense Ministry noted that at certain stages the plane was escorted by US Air Force F-22 and F-18 fighters. The flight lasted more than ten hours.
The department also stressed that long-range aviation regularly flies over the neutral waters of the Arctic, Atlantic, Black Sea and Pacific Ocean.
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| Photo: Sputnik |
“All flights of aircraft are carried out in accordance with the International Rules for the Use of Airspace, without violating the borders of other states,” the Department added.
Earlier, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported that two F-22s and two fighter jets supported by an E-3 Sentry, KC-135 Stratotanker and C-130 refueling aircraft from NORAD forces successfully identified and intercepted two Tu-95 "Medved" bombers over Alaska and in the Canadian air defense zone.
It should be noted that the Russian aircraft remained in international airspace over the Beaufort Sea and at no time did it enter US or Canadian sovereign airspace.
This is the second known case of interception of Russian military aircraft off the coast of the United States and Canada in August. Previously, on August 1, US fighter jets escorted two Russian Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft. There were no signs of airspace violation, as there were this time. The flight was confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry.
