20 Oct 2021 10:31

Two Russian fighter jets scrambled to shadow U.S. strategic bombers over Black Sea - Russian Defense Ministry

MOSCOW. Oct 20 (Interfax) - Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets have shadowed two U.S. B-1 Lancer strategic bombers over the Black Sea, Russia's National Defense Control Center said.

"The Russian fighter jets identified the airborne targets as two B-1B supersonic strategic bombers of the U.S. Air Force accompanied by two KC-135 refueling tankers and followed them over the Black Sea. After the foreign military planes turned away from the state border of the Russian Federation, the Russian fighter jets returned safely to their airfield," the center said.

Two Su-30 fighter jets from the Black Sea Fleet's air force and air defense force were scrambled to identify the airborne targets and to prevent violations of the Russian border, it said.

As the foreign aircraft were approaching the Russian border, they were detected by airspace monitoring systems over the neutral waters of the Black Sea, the center said.

"The flight of the Russian planes proceeded in strict compliance with the international rules for the use of airspace. No violations of the state border of the Russian Federation were allowed to occur," it said.