This is the best summary I could come up with:
LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Britain said its Typhoon fighter jets intercepted two Russian maritime patrol bomber aircraft in international airspace north of Scotland on Monday, within NATO’s northern air policing area.
“Pilots launched in their Typhoon jets to intercept two Russian long-range bombers this morning, monitoring them as they passed north of the Shetland Islands, ready to counter any potential threat to UK territory,” British armed forces minister James Heappey said.
Britain said its Typhoon jets are routinely scrambled during such incidents to secure and safeguard its skies.
British pilots also recently led NATO’s air policing mission in Estonia, where more than 50 similar air intercepts were carried out, it added.
Earlier on Monday, Russia said its strategic bombers had carried out routine flights over international waters in the Arctic.
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Why is this news, from the article this looks to be a fairly “routine” event? Not that I support Russia, but I imagine NATO forces are also engaging in similar behaviour somewhere else?
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Ya this is one of those, it’s routine and a big damn deal at the same time. Russia technically did nothing wrong. But at the same time they aren’t exactly being good neighbors
The UK isn’t exactly a Russian neighbor.
Yes I believe there are some Scandinavian countries in quite a lot of water between the two.
Although I haven’t actually checked lately perhaps they moved things around.
Glancing at Google Maps, a great circle route from Murmansk probably lets you skirt most national airspace.
This isn’t just a Russian thing. Freedom of navigation exercises in international water/airspace are a common practice for basically anyone with the ability to project globally. They aren’t even a bad thing since it’s literally just a demonstration that everyone involved actually abides by international law when out in the open since it is just an honor system anyway. The only issue is when intercepts aren’t done safely with agreed upon procedures. Russia doesn’t have the best track record but the problems are almost always when they are intercepting others, not being intercepted.
This entire story is a huge nothingburger.
The only thing eyebrow raising about this is that they were bombers (assuming they actually were). Normally this sort of thing is done with recon aircraft.
Nah they’ve been running bears into disputed territories and known airspace violations, namely several excursions into Alaska.
Keep in mind these were aircraft that had been pulled out of retirement when Putin figured out their missiles are terrible and they don’t have as many as claimed, they do probably still have billions of lbs of conventional bombs.
Putting Mr Magoo in charge of the navigation again, I see!
