17 December 2024 , 15:27
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Russia sent two Tu-22M3 nuclear-capable bombers over the Baltic Sea as Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited British troops in Estonia.
The warplanes were detected by NATO as they flew for hours over the ‘neutral waters’ while Starmer attended the 2024 Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Tallinn.
In a statement, Moscow said: ‘Two Tu-22M3 long-range bombers carried out a planned flight over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea.’
The planes have been used in Ukraine to drop conventional warheads.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said: ‘All flights of aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces are carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace.’
The Russians didn’t mention Starmer’s visit to Eastern Europe.
Estonia is seen as the most vulnerable Baltic state to invasion by Putin due to its location and small size.
It has the most successful economy of the former Soviet states.
Starmer visited British troops near the Russian border to express gratitude for their service and reaffirm the UK’s commitment to NATO and regional security.
His visit came as Downing Street announced £35 million of emergency support to help Ukraine repair its energy grid which Russia bombed in a way aimed at disconnecting it from back-up supplies from EU countries.