TU-95 bombers from Russia were spotted Wednesday flying over the North Sea and rapidly approaching the Dutch, British and Danish airspace, the Christian Science Monitor reported today.
According to authorities Dutch, British and Danish jets scrambled at the sight of the TU-95 bombers, identified as Russian TU-95 Bears.
The Dutch ministry said they had launched two F-16s from Volkel air force base to intercept the two Russian Tu-95 bombers.
Additionally, the Russian jets were escorted by aircraft from three NATO members from their territory up to the point that the suspicious jets where nowhere in sight.
"That's why we scrambled, that's why the Danish scrambled and the English scrambled, to ensure they fly out of our air space," Maj. Wilko Ter Horst said.
Spokesman for the Danish Defense Command Anders Fridberg said the Russian bombers came in from the north. "We just followed them and just turned back when we reached Germany," he added.
According to the Dutch ministry's official statement, similar instances have happened before, citing two incidents that happened on March 21 and the other, on Sept. 10 last year.
On the other hand, RIA Novosti reported that the incident involving the Russian Tu-95MS "Bears" strategic bombers was just a test flight.
A senior Air Force official said Thursday that the two jets were accompanied by supersonic Mikoyan MiG-31 interceptors during the test flight over the North Sea.
Authorities further explained that Russia's strategic bomber force regularly performs flights over neutral waters of the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Black Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
The test flights more often than not prompt abrasive reaction from neighboring countries such as the time when Japan had to escort the jets from their airspace.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry maintains that these test flights, such as the one involving the TU-95 bombers, were carried out "in strict accordance with international regulations" and that these do not violate the borders of other countries.
"The flight route was over the neutral waters of the North Sea, along the Kola Peninsula. The aircraft have flown some 12,000 kilometers. The flight duration exceeded 16 hours," Col. Igor Klimov clarified.
Russian authorities said the crews were training to fly over featureless terrain and perform aerial refuelling.
The TU-95MS variant is equipped with the X-55 cruise missile. It is considered as the backbone of the modern Russian strategic bomber force.
The TU-95 bomber is "designed to destroy critical facilities in the rear of the enemy at any time and under any weather conditions," RIA Novosti reported.
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