(Reuters) – Russia’s defence ministry said a Russian SU-35 fighter jet was scrambled over the Baltic Sea on Monday after two U.S. strategic bombers flew in the direction of the Russian border but then left.
“On March 20, 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 on Telegram. It said the targets were U.S. Air Force B52H strategic bombers.
It said a SU-35 fighter jet took to the air in order to prevent a border violation, and added, “after the foreign military aircraft moved away from the Russian Federation state border, the Russian fighter returned to its base airfield.”
(Reporting by Elaine Monaghan and Ron Popeski; Editing by Chris Reese)
