The Russian military deployed four nuclear-capable bombers over three major European seas adjacent to NATO member states following Ukraine’s unexpected incursion earlier this month.
According to Russia‘s Defence Ministry, two Tu-95MS strategic bombers flew over the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea, while two Tu-22M3 long-range bombers were dispatched over the Baltic Sea – both with nuclear capabilities.
Moscow emphasised that these flights adhered strictly to international airspace regulations.
The Tu-95MS is integral to Russia‘s strategic forces, whereas the Tu-22M3 belongs to its non-strategic forces. Most of Russia‘s non-strategic forces utilise shorter-range, dual-capable weapon systems, also capable of executing conventional strikes.
The Barents Sea, often referred to as Russia‘s “Arctic backyard”, is a significant route for the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet heading to the North Atlantic Ocean. To the southwest lies the Norwegian Sea, positioned between Iceland to the west and the Scandinavian Peninsula to the east.
The Baltic Sea, now often called “NATO Lake” due to Finland and Sweden joining the alliance, is almost entirely encircled by NATO members, except for Russia‘s Kaliningrad enclave. Kaliningrad in the Gulf of Finland provides a strategic route to St. Petersburg.
Russia reported that the Tu-95MS training flight lasted over four hours, with MiG-31 fighter jets escorting them. The Tu-22M3’s five-hour mission over the Baltic Sea was supported by Su-30SM and Su-27 fighter jets.
Russia‘s Defence Ministry mentioned encounters with “foreign fighter aircraft” during these missions but did not provide specifics.
The German Air Force confirmed spotting Russian bombers over the Baltic Sea on Wednesday through a post on X. The Luftwaffe deployed Eurofighter Typhoons from Latvia to intercept the “armed” Russian planes before Swedish fighter jets took over the NATO air policing duties.
Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, highlighted on X that one of the Tu-22M3 bombers carried a Kh-22 or Kh-32 cruise missile. This dual-capable precision missile has previously been used against Ukraine.
Routine flight operations over various waters in the Northern Hemisphere, including the Arctic Ocean, the North Pacific Ocean, and the Black Sea, are conducted by Russia‘s long-range aviation units.
NATO conducts air policing missions in five key regions in Europe: the Baltic Sea, Iceland, Romania, Bulgaria, the Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg), and the western Balkans.
These missions aim to detect, intercept, identify, and escort any unidentified aircraft approaching or entering NATO airspace.
Last week, the alliance announced that the UK deployed F-35B stealth fighters to Iceland, marking the first time these fifth-generation jets participated in such missions.