Russian fighter jet intercepts two US nuclear bombers days after US drone downed
Footage captures the moment a Russian jet apparently intercepts two US nuclear bombers only days after an American drone was brought down.
Russia's state-owned news agency claims its radar was alerted to two aircraft identified as US Air Force B-52H bombers over the Baltic Sea.
The incident comes after a Russian jet dumped fuel on an American drone before crashing into it in the Black Sea on March 14.
The B-52s were flying towards Russian airspace, the country's defence ministry said and a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter was scrambled to “escort” the planes.
"A Su-35 fighter jet of the Western Military District's on-duty air defence forces was scrambled to identify [the targets] and prevent a violation of Russia's state border,” said a statement.
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Dramatic footage appeared to capture the moment the B-52s were intercepted (Telegram)
The footage was taken from the Russian fighter (Telegram)"After the foreign military planes flew away from the Russian state border, the Russian fighter jet returned to its home airfield.
"The Russian fighter jet's flight proceeded in strict compliance with international rules for the use of airspace. No violations of the state border of Russia were allowed to occur."
The maligned Russian president Vladimir Putin also said it sent up two nuclear bombers - Tupolev Tu-95MS - to fly over the Sea of Japan for over seven hours.
A Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber and an Ilyushin Il-78 (AFP via Getty Images)The statement came as the Japanese prime minister visited Ukraine.
Tupolev Tu-95MS planes are regularly flown over international waters by Moscow.
They are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and are an integral part of Russia’s nuclear armoury, but the planes have been also used to launch devastating non-atomic missiles causing large-scale destruction in Ukraine.
Footage evidently showed one of the Tu-95MS aircraft on its mission.
Reports said two of the fleet at Engels-2 air base were damaged in a Ukrainian drone strike hundreds of miles inside the border on December 5.
The Soviet-era Tu-95s first flew some 70 years ago but remain central to Putin’s strike threat.
The Baltic Sea incident follows the crash of a US military surveillance drone in the Black Sea after a Russian jet dumped fuel on it, news of which broke on Thursday last week.
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The previous drone incident was picked up by a camera on the US MQ-9 Reaper drone (U.S. European Command)In dramatic footage, the MQ9 Reaper drone was brought down by the Americans when the jet collided with its propeller wing.
Russia denied coming into contact with it and said shooting it would have been an act of war. They said the drone came down after it malfunctioned.
The Russian jet approaches the US drone in last week's drama (U.S. European Command)
The mounted camera briefly lost signal following the fuel dump (U.S. European Command)They said the drone crashed into the water after a sharp manoeuvre. It was flying near Russian-occupied Crimea when it was brought down on March 14.
The US military called it an "unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians" and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called it "reckless."
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