MOSCOW. July 12 (Interfax) - A MiG-31 long-range fighter-interceptor aircraft was scrambled on Wednesday when a Norwegian military aircraft approached the Russian border over the Barents Sea, the Russian National Defense Command Center said in a statement.
"The Russian fighter identified the airborne target as a Boeing P-8 Poseidon of the Norwegian Air Force," the statement said.
"When the Russian fighter jet approached, the military aircraft turned away from the Russian state border. Violations of the Russian state border were not allowed," it said.
"The flight of the Russian fighter took place in strict compliance with the international rules for using the air space over neutral waters, without crossing flight paths or dangerously approaching the foreign state's aircraft," it said.
According to the center, the airborne target approaching the Russian state border was detected by Russian air space monitoring systems over the Barents Sea on Wednesday.
"A MiG-31 fighter, which was on air defense duty with the Northern Fleet's air defence forces, was scrambled to identify the airborne target and to prevent a violation of the Russian state border," the report said.