US officials have confirmed that two US Air Force B-52 bombers were intercepted by Russian fighter jets near the Arctic border on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in international airspace over the Barents Sea, which separates Norway and Russia. According to US officials, the Russian jets came within 50 feet of the bombers and conducted unsafe and unprofessional maneuvers.
The US bombers were conducting a routine training mission at the time of the incident. They were unarmed and did not respond to the Russian jets. The Russian jets eventually left the area after about 20 minutes.
The incident is the latest in a series of close encounters between US and Russian military aircraft in recent months. In June, two US F-22 fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers near Alaska. In August, two US F-15 fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers near the Baltic Sea.
These incidents have raised concerns about the potential for a military conflict between the US and Russia. Both countries have large nuclear arsenals, and any military confrontation could have devastating consequences.
The US and Russia have been working to improve military-to-military communication in an effort to prevent future incidents. However, it remains to be seen whether these efforts will be successful.
Kind regards E. Thompson.
