Russian MiG-31 jet fighter was scrambled to intercept a US RC-135 and a UK Sentinel reconnaissance planes over the Barents Sea Thursday, TASS reported citing Russia’s National Defense Control Center.
According to the military, on September 3, Russian radars discovered air targets approaching the Russian border over the Barents Sea. A Northern Fleet’s MiG-31 was scrambled to identify the aircraft and to prevent them from violating the Russian border.
“The Russian plane’s crew identified the air targets as the US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane and the UK Royal Air Force’s R.1 Sentinel reconnaissance plane,” the center said.
After the NATO planes turned away from the Russian border, the MiG-31 returned to the home airfield.
The center underscored that the sortie was performed in strict compliance with the international air law.
This was the second MiG-31 sortie to intercept targets over the Barents Sea conducted on Thursday. Earlier, another MiG was scrambled to drive a Norwegian Orion patrol plane away from the Russian border.
