Russia says it intercepted Norwegian patrol aircraft over Barents Sea

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia said Thursday that it intercepted a Norwegian patrol aircraft flying towards the country’s airspace over the Barents Sea.

“On 13 April 2023, Russian airspace control systems detected an air target approaching the Russian state border over the Barents Sea,” the National Centre for State Defense Control said in a statement.

The statement said a MIG-31 fighter jet of the Northern Fleet was scrambled to identify the aircraft and prevent a violation of the country’s state border.

“The Russian fighter jet identified the aerial target as a P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft of the Norwegian Air Force,” the statement said, adding the Russian aircraft returned to its base after the Norwegian aircraft turned away.

The statement also said that Russia’s state border was not violated and that the MIG-31 fighter jet’s sortie was “in strict compliance with the international rules for the use of airspace over international waters without crossing air routes or coming dangerously close to any foreign aircraft.”

Russia’s interception of the aircraft comes as Norway declared 15 Russian diplomats “persona non grata,” which Oslo claimed to be “intelligence officers,” due to their engagement in activities that are “not compatible with their diplomatic status."

“This is yet another extremely unfriendly step that will be followed by retaliatory measures,” the Russian Embassy in Oslo said on Telegram in response to the decision.