Over the past day, the American strategic bombers Boeing B-52H Stratofortress were seen twice above the Baltic Sea near the Russian borders. In both cases, Russian Su-27 fighter jets rose to intercept them. This was reported in the National Center for Defense of the Russian Federation.
"Russian Su-27 fighters from the air force on-call defense team twice a day escorted strategic bombers B-52H of the US Air Force, which flew in the airspace above the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea," the report said.
According to the ministry, Russian airspace controls were detected by both American bomber at a considerable distance from the state border of the Russian Federation, after which they were taken to escort.
“During the flight, the crews of Su-27 fighters did not allow foreign strategic bombers to approach the state border,” the NUVO said.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also published a video of the escort B-52 from the cockpit of the Su-27.
The National Center for Defense Management notes that since March 14, the aircraft of the United States Air Force strategic aviation performed seven flights over the Baltic Sea.
In particular, on the website of the PlaneRadar flight monitoring service, it was reported that the Boeing B-52H, performing maneuvers on March 15, flew at an altitude of about 8 km near the borders of Poland and the Kaliningrad region. At the same time, a strategic bomber allegedly worked on striking the base of the Baltic Fleet.
Along with this, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation indicated that the B-52 flew with the transponder turned on “parallel course to the territorial waters of the Russian Federation” and did not approach the Russian border more than 150 km. After the American bomber was taken to escort the air defense system, he turned in the opposite direction.
Stratofortress is one of the main bombers of the air component of the United States nuclear triad. It was adopted by the American army in 1955, after which it was repeatedly modernized. Modern versions of the bomber are capable of carrying guided atomic bombs and cruise missiles with nuclear warheads.
The emergence of B-52 on the European continent due to their redeployment in the first half of March from the 2nd Bomber Wing of the United States Air Force (Louisiana) to Fairford Air Base, located in southern Britain. Six US strategic bombers practice "flight skills and interaction in the theater of operations," along with allies from Europe. This decision was made in connection with the alleged increase of Moscow’s military presence in the region.
“In the light of the fact that Russia is modernizing its increasingly aggressive forces, the European command recommends strengthening our troops attached and operating on a rotational basis in order to strengthen the deterrent potential,” said General Curtis Scaparotti, US Commander in Europe, at a meeting of the Senate Committee on Armed Forces forces on March 5th.
As the press secretary to the president of Russia Dmitry Peskov noted, such actions by Washington only cause additional tension on the continent, not contributing to strengthening the atmosphere of security and stability in the territory adjacent to the borders of the Russian Federation.
We add that in the week from March 15 to March 21, reconnaissance at the borders of the Russian Federation was conducted by 21 aircraft. At the same time, the air defense forces on duty did not commit violations of the country's airspace; for this, Russian fighter jets made four sorties.
In addition, within the framework of the Open Skies Treaty, the American military aircraft Boeing OC-135B Open Skies conducted an observation flight over the territory of Russia. The aircraft, not equipped with weapons, was fixed at an altitude of 11.2 km above the cities of Anadyr and Pevek in the Chukotka Autonomous Region.
13:30 Moscow time
US Air Force Observation Plane #Boeing OC-135B # Open # Skies, tail number 61-2670, callsign # OSY12F, in the coverage area of the Anadyr town #UHMA, Pevek # UHMP # OC135B # USAFpic.twitter.com / WIVwmPsg1j
At the same time, the US Air Force conducts reconnaissance near the southern borders of Russia, near the Crimean peninsula. On the eve of the Black Sea, a Boeing RC-135 electronic surveillance aircraft was spotted, which took off from the Greek island of Souda, where it is located one of the strongholds of the NATO Navy in the Eastern Mediterranean.