Russia’s defence ministry has said that a Russian Su-35 combat plane was scrambled over the Baltic Sea after two United States strategic bombers flew in the direction of the Russian border. The two aircraft sighted heading towards the Russian border were US Air Force B52H strategic bombers. The ministry said that later, the fighter jets returned to base after the US planes moved away from Russian territory. The encounter on Monday follows last week’s diplomatic furore following the crash of a US surveillance drone into the Black Sea after it was intercepted by two Russian Su-27 fighter jets in what was the first known direct military contact between Russia and the US since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. The Su-35 fighter was scrambled to prevent “a violation of the state border” by the US aircraft, the ministry said, after the aircraft had reached a “designated air patrol area”. Russia has accused the US of collecting intelligence through surveillance flights..which was then given to Ukraine to attack Russian targets. Moscow has also accused the US of provoking the drone incident by ignoring flight restrictions imposed to protect Russian territory and has said that Russia “will respond in kind” to all future provocations.

#Russiascamblesjets#Balticsea#B52bomber