The Russian Defense Ministry said that British fighter jets escorted two Russian Tu-160 long-range strategic planes on a planned flight over the Barents, the Norwegian Sea, and the North Sea.
“At certain stages of the route, Russian strategic missile carriers were escorted by British Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in the statement.
But the Russian strategic bombers were not alone, as MiG-31 fighter jets were escorting them armed through their flight.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense: “Long-range aviation crews regularly fly over the neutral waters of the Arctic, the North Atlantic, the Black and Baltic Seas, and the Pacific Ocean. All flights of aircraft of the Aerospace Forces of Russia are carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace.”
United Kingdom’s Air Force (RAF) also made a statement about the incident on Twitter:
RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon aircraft launched today from Lossiemouth and Coningsby.
This was in response to Russian TU-160 Blackjack aircraft approaching UK Airspace and was coordinated with several NATO Allies.
