Russian Tu-142s during a scheduled flight were accompanied by F-18 fighters of the US Navy

"On April 23, 2021, a pair of Tu-142 long-range anti-submarine aircraft of the Pacific Fleet's naval aviation completed a planned 10-hour flight over the Pacific Ocean," the message says.

The department clarified that in some areas of the flight, Russian aircraft were accompanied by F-18 carrier-based fighters of the US Navy.

The Ministry of Defense noted that the Russian pilots worked out the tasks of flying over non-orientated terrain, the coordination of actions when piloting in the absence of radar control.

Earlier it was reported that the Russian MiG-31 fighter took off to accompany the US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft over the Pacific Ocean. 

It is noted that "to identify the air target and prevent violation of the state border of Russia, a MiG-31 fighter from the air defense forces of the Eastern Military District was raised into the air."

The department said that the crew of the Russian fighter identified the aerial target as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft RC-135 of the US Air Force and escorted it over the Pacific Ocean.