One of the Russian planes flew near the USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the United States Sixth Fleet, which has been coordinating the Trident Juncture military drills.
Two Russian Tu-142 (NATO codename Bear-F) planes conducted a planned flight over neutral waters in the Norwegian Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry stated on Saturday.
"On November 2, 2018, two Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft of the Russian Navy's aviation performed a planned flight over neutral waters of the Norwegian Sea. The flight's duration was more than 12 hours… All flights of the naval aircraft of the Russian Navy are carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace without violating the borders of other countries," the ministry’s statement read, adding that the planes then landed at an airfield Russia’s Vologda region.
The flight was conducted during NATO’s Trident Juncture 18 exercises, which are being held in the area.
A Russian Tu-142 photographed yesterday from the USS Mount Whitney during NATO's Trident Juncture exercise in Norway. https://t.co/Me96LmaRDC pic.twitter.com/zK4mrFop5Z
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) November 3, 2018
