Russia says its strategic bombers conduct flight over ‘neutral waters of Sea of Japan’

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russia on Wednesday said that its strategic Tu-95MS bombers conducted an 11-hour flight over the “neutral waters of the Sea of Japan,” also known as the East Sea.

“Strategic bombers Tu-95MS of the long-range aviation conducted a planned flight in the airspace over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan. The flight duration was over 11 hours,” a Defense Ministry statement said.

The ministry did not specify the number of aircraft involved.

The Tu-95MS bombers were escorted by Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which provided air cover, the statement said.

“Long-range aviation crews regularly conduct flights over the neutral waters of the Arctic, the North Atlantic, the Pacific Ocean, the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea,” it added.

The ministry said all flights by Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are carried out “in strict compliance with international rules for the use of airspace.”

The Tu-95MS strategic bombers are nuclear-capable aircraft that form part of Russia’s long-range aviation and serve as the air component of the country’s nuclear triad, alongside submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles.