Dramatic moment Russian SU-35 fighter jet intercepts two US B-52 nuclear bombers over Baltic Sea
This is the dramatic moment a Russian fighter jet intercepted a pair of US nuclear bombers over the Baltic Sea, just days after a US drone was shot down.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said a single Su-35 scrambled to meet B-52 strategic bombers flying in the direction of the Russian border on Monday, but returned to base after they flew away.
The development came as Moscow said it had flown two of its own nuclear bombers over the Sea of Japan for more than seven hours, in a statement issued as Japan’s prime minister began a surprise visit to Ukraine, and as Japan’s prime minister China, Xi Jinping, continues his visit. own visit to Moscow.
Tupolev Tu-95MS jets are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and are regularly flown by Moscow over international waters in the Arctic, North Atlantic and Pacific as a show of force and as an intimidation tactic.
It also followed the March 14 crash of a US military surveillance drone in the Black Sea after it was intercepted by Russian jets, in the first known direct military encounter between Russia and the US since Russia invaded. Ukraine.
A Russian fighter jet has flown over the Baltic Sea to intercept a pair of US nuclear bombers, just days after a US drone was shot down.
“On March 20, the radar installations of the air defense forces of the Western Military District on duty over the Baltic Sea detected two air targets flying in the direction of the state border of the Russian Federation,” the ministry said in the app. Telegram messaging.
He said the targets were US Air Force B52H strategic bombers.
Dramatic footage, purportedly captured from the Su-35, appeared to confirm this on Tuesday. In the video captured up close, it showed one of two US planes flying above the clouds.
Earlier, the two US planes were seen being escorted by Polish fighter jets.
Russia said an Su-35 fighter jet took off to prevent a border violation, adding that “after the foreign military plane moved away from the state border of the Russian Federation, the Russian fighter returned to its base airfield.”
The ministry said the Su-35 flight strictly complied with international regulations on the use of airspace. “No violation of the state border of the Russian Federation was allowed,” he said.
Tensions between Washington and Moscow are at their highest since the Cold War as Vladimir Putin continues his illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine has been heavily supported by the United States and its NATO allies, and Russia accuses the United States of waging a proxy war in Ukraine.
The incident involving the Su-35 and B-52 comes a week after two Russian warplanes shot down a US reaper drone over the Black Sea by dumping fuel on it.
The United States criticized Russia for the incident in international waters, as Moscow worked to recover the wreckage from the sea.
Meanwhile, Russia also said on Tuesday that it had flown two of its own strategic nuclear bombers, nuclear-capable Tu-95MS ‘Bears’, over the Sea of Japan.
The timing of the latest flight seemed more precise than usual, as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was due to visit Kiev later to show solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the war against Russia.
Japanese national broadcaster NHK showed Kishida boarding a train in the Polish city of Przemysl, near the Ukrainian border.
Pictured: The two US nuclear bombers are escorted by a Polish fighter plane.
The development came as Moscow said it had flown two of its own Tu-95MS nuclear bombers (pictured, file photo) over the Sea of Japan for more than seven hours, in a statement issued as Japan’s prime minister was opening a surprise visit to Ukraine.
Russia said the strategic bombers carried out a “planned flight”, escorted by fighter jets. It was carried out in strict compliance with international law and took place over neutral waters, the Defense Ministry said.
In February, US air defense forces were sent to intercept several Russian strategic bombers and fighter jets as they flew over international airspace near Alaska.
Japan, which has its own territorial dispute with Moscow over islands in the North Pacific dating back to the end of World War II, is a key Asian ally of the United States and a member of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies, and has joined Sanctions. Westerners against Russia.
Kishida’s trip to Ukraine also coincides with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Moscow.