Tu-160 strategic bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have carried out a patrol mission over the neutral waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday, quoted by Focus.
"Long-range strategic bombers Tu-160 carried out a scheduled flight in the airspace over the neutral waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas“, the ministry said in a statement, quoted by the EFE agency.
During their mission, which lasted more than 16 hours, the Tu-160 bombers were escorted by Russian fighter jets MiG-31. During the flight, the crews also refueled in the air.
"All flights of aircraft from the Russian Aerospace Forces are carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace“, the Russian military department emphasized.
However, at certain stages of the route, the Russian bombers were accompanied and monitored by military aircraft of other countries.
Russian strategic aviation, which consists of Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers, regularly performs patrol flights over neutral waters in:
Arctic
North Atlantic
Black Sea
Baltic Sea
Pacific Ocean and other regions.
These flights were not interrupted during of the war in Ukraine.