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Russia's Defense Ministry announced Thursday that nuclear-capable strategic bombers conducted flights over the Norwegian and Barents Seas, drawing escorts from unidentified foreign fighter jets during portions of the mission.
The ministry described the operation as a scheduled flight by Tu-95MS strategic bombers and missile carriers over neutral waters north of Scandinavia and northwest of Russia, according to Russian news agencies.
Officials did not specify when the flights occurred or which nations deployed the monitoring aircraft.
The bombers were accompanied by foreign fighter jets at certain stages of the route, the ministry said, adding that such operations take place regularly in multiple regions and comply with international law.
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The Tu-95, a turboprop-powered strategic bomber first introduced during the Cold War era, remains capable of carrying nuclear weapons and cruise missiles.
Such aircraft routinely conduct long-range patrols that often approach the airspace of other nations, typically prompting defensive responses from countries along their flight paths.
The Barents Sea lies north of Norway and Russia's Kola Peninsula, while the Norwegian Sea stretches between Norway, Iceland and Greenland.
Both bodies of water have historically seen significant military activity due to their strategic importance in the Arctic region.
Earlier this month, South Korea and Japan criticized Russian and Chinese military aircraft for flying near their territories, prompting both nations to scramble fighter jets in response.
According to Tokyo, two Russian Tu-95 bombers departed from the Sea of Japan and met with two Chinese H-6 bombers in the East China Sea before conducting a joint flight around Japan.
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