Japan raised fighters to intercept Russian strategic missile carriers Tu-95MS. This happened during a scheduled flight, the Russian Defense Ministry told Lente.ru.
As noted, it was carried out by two Tu-95MS long-range aviation. They were accompanied from the Russian side by Su-35S fighters.
The department indicated that the flight took place over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan and the northwestern Pacific Ocean. “At certain stages of the route, Russian strategic missile carriers accompanied F-15 fighters of the Japanese Air Force,” the Defense Ministry explained.
The flight reportedly took more than nine hours in total and was carried out in accordance with international regulations.
In early February, it was reported that dozens of reconnaissance aircraft from other countries, including planes and drones, were spotted near the Russian borders in one week.
NATO fighters have taken to the skies hundreds of times to intercept Russian military aircraft in 2020. According to the North Atlantic Alliance, in the past year, the air forces of member countries intercepted military aircraft more than 400 times approaching NATO air borders in Europe.