MOSCOW, February 3. /TASS/. Two Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers made a sortie over Barents and Norwegian Seas and over the Atlantic Ocean; at certain swaths of flight route, they were escorted by UK Royal Air Force planes, Russian Defense Ministry told journalists Thursday.
"Two long-range aviation Tu-95 strategic missile carriers carried out a planned sortie over neutral waters of Barents and Norwegian Sea, as well as northeast part of the Atlantic Ocean," the Ministry said.
The Ministry added that the missile carriers were supported by Russian Navy's Northern Fleet MiG-31 jets.
"At certain swath of the flight route, the Russian strategic missile carriers were escorted by UK Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters," the Defense Ministry said.
During the sortie, the Tu-95 crews practiced aerial refueling. The sortie lasted for about 15 hours.
The Russian Ministry also noted that the long-range aviation regularly makes sorties over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Black and Baltic seas. All sorties of the Russian Aerospace Forces take place in strict compliance with the international aviation law.