Russian bombers conduct scheduled flight over Barents, Norwegian seas

Russian Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers conducted a scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Barents and Norwegian seas, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.

The flight lasted about five hours, the ministry said.

The aircraft were escorted by Su-33 fighter jets of the Russian Navy, while foreign fighter aircraft accompanied the strategic bombers during certain stages of the route, it said.

The Tu-95MS, known by NATO as the Bear-H, is a long-range strategic bomber and missile carrier capable of carrying cruise missiles.

The ministry said Russian long-range aviation crews regularly conduct flights over neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific, Baltic and Black seas.

“All flights of Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are carried out in strict accordance with international rules governing the use of airspace,” the ministry said.