Views: 13
A further two Tu-22M3 long-range bombers were dispatched over the Baltic Sea. These also have with nuclear capabilities meaning the move could be seen as risky, given the large number of nearby NATO members, reports the Mirror.
The Baltic Sea has recently been dubbed “NATO lake” thanks to the recent accession of Finland and Sweden, both of which border the massive body of water.
Russia’s military representatives have stressed that the flights over both seas were for training purposes, with the Tu-95MS units participating in exercises and the Tu-22’s escorting. Moscow has insisted the four-hour operation strictly adhered with international airspace regulations.
Germany’s air force, the Luftwaffe, provided an explanation with a post on X, formerly Twitter, stating it had deployed Eurofighter Typhoons from Latvia to intercept the Russian planes. The social media post confirmed that the Russian planes were “handed over” to on-duty Swedish squadrons. The post read: “The Eurofighter VAPB in Germany were alerted today by the NATO CAOC Uedem to identify a group of aircraft consisting of two TU-22 BACKFIRE and several SU FLANKER. The armed aircraft were then ‘handed over’ to the alert squadron.”
Russia has frequently utilised Tu-22M3 bombers in its invasion of Ukraine, with the country stating in April that it had successfully shot one of the units down over its territory. Russian officials claimed the plane crashed as it returned to base, blaming the alleged accident on a technical malfunction. A 2024 Military Balance report issued by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates that Russia’s air force currently has 57 Tu-22M3s in stock.
DAILY RECORD