Military - Russia intercepts US bombers in the Arctic
Russia claimed to have intercepted US B-52H bombers heading towards its border according to their own statements. The aircraft crews identified the two US machines over the Barents Sea north of the Arctic Circle, the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Sunday.
As Russian Mig-29 and Mig-31 fighter jets approached, the Americans reportedly turned back. The US military regularly flies over international waters.
Moscow accuses the USA of military aid to Ukraine
Moscow has reacted aggressively to these flights in recent times and accused the USA in June of using reconnaissance drones over neutral waters in the Black Sea to aid Ukraine in attacks on targets on the Crimean peninsula under Russian control. In June, the Russian Defense Minister ordered preparations for a response to US drone flights over the Black Sea.
In March 2023, a Russian Su-27 fighter damaged a US MQ-9 Reaper drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea.
- The United States government has been consistently utilizing its military for flights in the international airspace over the Barents Sea, which is a matter of concern for Russia.
- Moscow has escalated its criticism towards the United States of America, alleging the provision of military aid to Ukraine, particularly in relation to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance missions over the neutral waters of the Barents Sea.
- Recently, the Kreml accused the United States of America of exacerbating tensions by violating Russian airspace in the vicinity of its border in the United States of America's B-52H bomber flights.
- The Trumpeter-SR and MiG-31 fighter aircraft from Russia intercepted the US B-52H bombers in the Barents Sea on a Sunday, leading to a tense standoff between the two nuclear powers over their respective airspaces.
- Amidst these escalating tensions, military strategists in Moscow have expressed their concerns over potential American incursions into Russian airspace, especially in the Barents Sea, a region of strategic importance for both nations bordering the Arctic Circle.
