Earlier today, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its Aerospace Forces have once again deployed two of their Tu-95MS strategic bombers on patrol flights over the Barents Sea. The mission, reportedly scheduled in advance, was conducted within international regulations. According to official sources, the patrol lasted for four hours and, along part of the route, the bombers were shadowed by Western fighter jets.
An excerpt from the official communication stated: “Long-range aviation crews of the Russian Aerospace Forces regularly carry out flights over neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Baltic Sea, and Black Sea. All flights by Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are conducted in strict compliance with international airspace regulations.”
Further details confirm that the two Tu-95MS bombers on patrol over the Barents Sea were escorted by at least two Su-33 fighter jets, which operate under the command of the Russian Navy. Additionally, footage released by the Russian defense ministry shows that the Tu-95MS aircraft appear to be carrying armaments under their wings—most likely Kh-101 cruise missiles, although they could also be training variants.
This marks yet another entry in a long list of similar patrol deployments by Russian strategic bombers around the Arctic Circle, which have routinely been intercepted by NATO fighter jets for observation. Among the most recent Tu-95MS deployments, there was one in February, when the aircraft were intercepted by Norwegian Air Force F-35As conducting air policing missions. These same elements were also detected over the Sea of Japan in January, prompting the Japanese Air Force to scramble its F-15 fighters.
In a broader context, Russia has also used other strategic platforms such as the Tu-160 bombers to approach airspace monitored by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), particularly near northern Greenland and Canada. These and other security concerns in the region have led the U.S. government to increase its air presence in the area to strengthen control over aerial traffic, in addition to repeated public statements on the matter by President Donald Trump.
*Image credits: Russian Ministry of Defense
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