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Russian MiG-29 fighter jets intercept a Norwegian P-8A Poseidon military patrol aircraft over the Barents Sea. Photo/REUTERS
MOSCOW – A Russian MiG-29 fighter jet intercepted a Norwegian P-8A Poseidon military patrol plane, a NATO country, in the Barents Sea, on Wednesday.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed the intercept of the aircraft saying a Norwegian base patrol aircraft traveled into Russian airspace over the Barents Sea.
“The crew of the Russian jet identified the target as a P-8A Poseidon base patrol aircraft of the Norwegian Air Force,” the ministry said, as quoted by Reuters, Thursday (24/8/2023).
As the Moscow fighter jets approached, the ministry said, the foreign aircraft turned back from the border without committing any violation.
The ministry said the MiG-29’s flight was carried out in accordance with international rules for the use of airspace in neutral waters, and that the Russian warplanes did not cross the air route or make any dangerous approaches to the foreign aircraft.
In recent months, Russia has intercepted several Western fighter jets approaching its country’s borders as the war rages on in Ukraine.
In May, Russian fighter jets intercepted a total of 4 US strategic bombers over the Baltic Sea and forced them to change course after the planes crossed the country’s border.
Also in May, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet intercepted a Polish border guard plane in the Black Sea near Romania; an incident that caused the pilot of the plane to lose control of the plane.
On August 12, Russian air defense systems thwarted a Ukrainian airstrike in Crimea consisting of 20 attack drones. The air defense system managed to destroy 14 UAVs while the remaining 6 were disabled by the electronic jamming system.
The Ukrainian army became overly reliant on the use of long-range missiles and attack drones during their offensives which failed to achieve any major breakthroughs against Russian defensive positions along the front.
Moreover, evidence shows that in the first two weeks of the counteroffensive campaign, Ukraine lost 20% of the equipment delivered by the West.
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