A screengrab of footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry shows a U.S. B-52H strategic bomber flying over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea.
MOSCOW, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Russian Su-27 fighters escorted U.S. B-52H strategic bombers twice in a day over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.
Two U.S. aircraft were detected by Russian airspace control devices at a considerable distance from the state border, and the Russian jets took off to accompany them, the ministry said on Facebook.
The crews of the Su-27 fighters did not allow the U.S. bombers to approach the Russian border, it said in a statement, without disclosing the date of the incident.
According to Russia's National Center for Defense Management, the aircraft of the U.S. strategic air force have carried out seven flights over the Baltic Sea since March 14.
Media said that Washington recently deployed six nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to Europe for "theater integration and flying training" drills with regional allies and North Atlantic Treaty Organization partners.
The appearance of U.S. bombers near Russian borders created additional tension, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a briefing on Thursday.