MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/. Two Russian Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers have performed flights over the Bering Sea as part of the Ocean Shield-2019 exercise. F-22 and F-18 fighter jets of the US Air Force escorted them at certain stages of the flight, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

"Two Tu-95MS missile-carrying strategic bombers operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces have performed flights over the neutral waters of the Bering Sea as part of the Ocean Shield-2019 exercise. The flight lasted for more than 10 hours," the ministry said, adding that "F-22 and F-18 fighter jets of the US Air Force escorted them at certain stages of the flight."

The Russian Defense Ministry noted that long-range aviation regularly performed flights over international waters in the Arctic region, the Atlantic Ocean, the Black Sea, the Pacific Ocean in strict compliance with the international rules for the use of airspace, without violating other countries’ borders.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) earlier reported that US F-22 fighter jets scrambled on Thursday to escort two Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers in the air defense identification zone of Alaska and Canada.

The Ocean Shield drills are being held in the Baltic Sea on August 1-9. A total of 49 ships and attack crafts, 20 support vessels, 58 aircraft of the Navy and the Aerospace Forces and over 10,000 military personnel are taking part in them.