MOSCOW, June 17. /TASS/. Russian radar stations have tracked the flight of US Boeing B-52 strategic bombers over the northeastern Pacific, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters on Wednesday.
"On June 17, 2020, the Russian Airspace Control Means detected and tracked the flight of a pair of B-52 strategic bombers of the US Air Force," the ministry said adding that the bombers were flying in the neutral airspace over the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean.
The Defense Ministry explained that the bombers had not approached Russia’s borders.
"The flight was performed at a distance of over 300 kilometers off the border of the Russian Federation," they said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported earlier that four Tu-95MS strategic missile-carrying bombers performed a patrol flight over the neutral waters of the Chukchi, Bering and Okhotsk Seas and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday. The Russian bombers’ scheduled flight lasted about 11 hours, the ministry specified. At some sections of the route, the Russian aircraft were escorted by US Air Force F-22 fighters.
"The aircraft of Russia’s Aerospace Force perform all flights in strict compliance with the international rules of using the airspace," the Defense Ministry stressed.
Tu-95MS aircraft are the air component of Russia’s nuclear triad. Tu-95MS strategic missile-carrying bombers are designated to deliver strikes against vital targets in remote areas and deep in the rear of continental theaters of military operations.