MOSCOW. March 12 (Interfax) - Two Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range bombers have conducted a planned flight over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea and were shadowed by foreign fighter aircraft at some stages of their mission, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"The flight lasted over four hours. Fighter aircraft of foreign countries shadowed the long-range bombers at some stages of their flight," it said.
"Sukhoi Su-30SM and Su-27 planes of the [Russian] Aerospace Forces provided fighter escort," it said.
"All flights of Russian Aerospace Forces planes strictly comply with the international rules for the use of airspace," it said.