By Deutsche Welle
21 Jul 2024, 12:19 PM EDT
The Russian Ministry of Defense assured this Sunday (21.07.2024) that MiG-29 and MiG-31 fighter jets intercepted two American B-52H bombers over the waters of the Barents Sea in the Arctic. According to Moscow’s version, when the fighters approached the US strategic aircraft, the latter turned around and moved away from the Russian border.
The Russian command stressed that the flight of its aircraft was completed in strict compliance with international norms for the use of airspace over neutral waters and in compliance with security measures. It added that The interception maneuver prevented a violation of Russian airspace.after which the fighters returned to their bases.
The fighters took off to intercept an “air target approaching the state border of the Russian Federation,” identified as “two B-52H strategic bombers of the US Air Force,” the Russian statement said. “When the Russian fighters approached, the bombers corrected their flight course, moving away and then turning to distance themselves from the state border of Russia.”
More aggressive attitude
The US Air Force regularly conducts flights over international watersoperations that it says are carried out in neutral airspace and in accordance with international law. But in recent months Russia has responded more aggressively to such manoeuvres. In June it warned that US drone flights over the Black Sea risked leading to a “direct” military confrontation.
These operations on the Black Sea, says Russia, are aimed at assist Ukraine in attacking Russian positions in occupied CrimeaMoscow warned in June that officials were preparing for a “response” to the United States over such reconnaissance flights. In March 2023, a Su-27 fighter damaged an American MQ-9 drone.
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