A Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted a U.S. B-52 bomber over the Baltic Sea Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry told Russian media outlets.
The Defense Ministry said the B-52 bomber was over international waters near the Russian border.
“A Sukhoi-27 fighter jet of the Baltic Sea Fleet’s air defense force was dispatched to intercept the target,” the ministry said. “The crew of Russia’s Sukhoi-27 jet approached the aircraft staying at a safe distance, identified it as a US strategic bomber B-52 and escorted it for some time.”
A spokesman for the U.S. European Command, Air Force Lt. Col. David Faggard told the Washington Post the B-52’s transponder was on and was supporting a joint training mission in the region.
B-52 bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana recently deployed to Royal Air Force Base Fairford to take part in NATO exercises including Saber Strike, Arctic Challenge and BALTOPS.
Last month, the United States intercepted several Russian bombers off the coast of Alaska.
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