Russian jet intercepts US bomber over Baltic Sea

A Russian fighter jet on Tuesday intercepted a U.S. B-52 bomber and later the same day a Norwegian patrol plane, Russia’s Defense Ministry told news outlets.

Russia sent a Sukhoi-27 fighter at 10 a.m. Moscow time to intercept the B-52 flying along Russia’s border over the international waters of the Baltic Sea, according to Tass Russian News Agency.

“The crew of Russia’s Sukhoi-27 jet approached the aircraft staying at a safe distance, identified it as a U.S. strategic bomber B-52 and escorted it for some time,” the Defense Ministry said.

{mosads}There are several B-52s currently in Europe. The Defense Department will use the aircraft as part of NATO exercises this summer. One such exercise, Sabre Strike, will be held in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Russia also sent a MiG-31 jet fighter to intercept a Norwegian P-3 Orion aircraft flying along Russia’s border over the Barents Sea.

The ministry said the aircraft had switched off its transponder during the flight.

There have been a number of aircraft intercepts between Russia and the United States in recent months. Two U.S. fighter jets intercepted four Russian aircraft off the coast of Alaska, including two Russian fighter jets, on May 4.

And in April, a pair of Russian TU-95 long-range bomber aircraft flew in international airspace near Alaska four times within four days.

All flights were intercepted by U.S. jets and escorted out of the U.S. Air Defense Identification Zone.