Dramatic Moment: Russian SU-35 fighter jet intercepts two US B-52 nuclear bombers over Baltic Sea days after downing of American Reaper drone
- last year
This is the dramatic moment a Russian fighter jet intercepted a pair of US nuclear bombers over the Baltic Sea, just days after an American drone was downed.
Russia's defense ministry said a single Su-35 was scrambled to meet the B-52 strategic bombers that were flying towards the Russian border on Monday, but that it returned to base after they moved away following a tense standoff.
The development came as Moscow said it had flown two of its nuclear bombers over the Sea of Japan for more than seven hours, in a statement released as Japan's prime minister was beginning a surprise visit to Ukraine - and as China's premier Xi Jinping continues his visit to Moscow.
Russia's Tupolev Tu-95MS planes are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and Moscow regularly flies them over international waters in the Arctic, North Atlantic, and Pacific as a show of strength and as an intimidation tactic.
It also followed the March 14 crash of a US military surveillance drone into the Black Sea after it was intercepted by Russian jets, in the first known direct military encounter between Russia and the US since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Russia's defense ministry said a single Su-35 was scrambled to meet the B-52 strategic bombers that were flying towards the Russian border on Monday, but that it returned to base after they moved away following a tense standoff.
The development came as Moscow said it had flown two of its nuclear bombers over the Sea of Japan for more than seven hours, in a statement released as Japan's prime minister was beginning a surprise visit to Ukraine - and as China's premier Xi Jinping continues his visit to Moscow.
Russia's Tupolev Tu-95MS planes are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and Moscow regularly flies them over international waters in the Arctic, North Atlantic, and Pacific as a show of strength and as an intimidation tactic.
It also followed the March 14 crash of a US military surveillance drone into the Black Sea after it was intercepted by Russian jets, in the first known direct military encounter between Russia and the US since Russia invaded Ukraine.