MOSCOW. Sept 13 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Air Force long-range planes will perform a remote patrolling mission over the Atlantic on Friday, September 14.
"Two strategic Tupolev Tu-160 rocket-carriers will take off from the Engels airbase. The flights will take place over neutral waters of the Atlantic Ocean," Russian Air Force spokesman Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky told Interfax on Thursday.
The flights will last about 15 hours on average, he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on August 17 that regular flights of Russian strategic aviation in remote regions of the world would be resumed.
"I have decided to resume the flights of Russian strategic aviation on a regular basis," he told the press in Chebarkul.
Russian strategic bombers will fly in the areas of shipping lanes and Russia's economic zone, he said.
Putin pointed out that Russia unilaterally stopped the flights of its strategic aviation to remote conflict areas in 1992. "Unfortunately, not everyone followed suit, and strategic aviation of other states continued their flights," he said.
"This has created certain problems in guaranteeing the Russian Federation's security," he said.