Representational image. ANI
New Delhi: In response to two American strategic bombers flying near the Russian border on Monday, Russia’s defence ministry said that a Russian Su-35 fighter jet was scrambled over the Baltic Sea, but it later returned to base after they moved away.
According to Reuters, “On 20 March, radar facilities of the air defence forces of the Western military district on duty over the Baltic Sea detected two air targets flying in the direction of the Russian Federation’s state border,” the ministry said.
The report further stated that the targets were US Air Force B52H strategic bombers, and that a Su-35 fighter jet flew in to stop a border violation. Russia’s defence ministry claimed, “after the foreign military aircraft moved away from the Russian Federation state border, the Russian fighter returned to its base airfield.”
The Su-35’s flight properly complied with all applicable international airspace usage regulations. “No violation of the Russian Federation’s state border was tolerated,” the ministry stated, according to Reuters.
The development came after a US drone crashed into the Black Sea on 14 March after being intercepted by Russian jet in what is believed to be the first known direct military encounter between Russia and the United States since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of last year.
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The United States labeled the incident “reckless” and “unprofessional” while Moscow denied it was to blame and instead accused Washington of conducting “hostile” flights in the region.
With inputs from agencies
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