MOSCOW. May 14 (Interfax-AVN) - NATO F-16 fighters followed two Russian Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers on an air patrol mission above the neutral waters of the Norwegian Sea, Defense Ministry spokesman Vladimir Drik told Interfax-AVN on Friday.
"Two turboprop Tu-95MS strategic bombers took off from Engels Air Base on Wednesday, May 12 and successfully fulfilled their air patrolling mission," he said.
The route of the flight crossed skies above the neutral waters of the Norwegian Sea. During the flight the bomber crews trained for piloting in localities with no orientation clues. "The duration of the flight was around 12 hours," Drik said.
He said that strategic aviation pilots make regular flights over neutral waters of the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the Black Sea. All the flights are made in strict compliance with the international rules of using the air space above neutral waters and without violating the air space of other countries, he said.