MiG-31©
MOSCOW, April 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Russian MiG-31 fighter intercepted US and Norwegian patrol planes above the Barents Sea on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Radars detected two air targets approaching the Russian border over the Barents Sea, and a MiG-31 jet belonging to the Russian Northern Fleet took off in response, the ministry said.
The Russian crew identified the air targets as a US Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft and a Norwegian P-3C Orion patrol plane.
After the foreign aircraft flew away from the Russian border, the MiG-31 safely returned to its airfield.
During its flight, the Russian fighter strictly complied with international rules for the use of airspace, the ministry added.
A Pentagon official said that the Defense Department was “aware of the reports.”
“Intercept activity is not unusual. The majority of these are considered safe. However, we don’t get into details of the interactions themselves,” the official said.
A Russian MiG-31 last week escorted a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft along the country’s far northeast Kamchatka Peninsula over the Pacific Ocean, according to Russian news agency Tass.
Moscow in the past month has heightened its military presence in the region, particularly at its border with Ukraine and in the Black Sea, with Russian jets and bombers frequently flying near allied airspace. — NNN-AGENCIES