Vladimir Putin’s supersonic White Swan bombers have been intercepted after flying after flying near Nato’s airspace.
Two Tupolev Tu-160s, commonly known as White Swans, were seen in flight over the Norwegian Sea.
The pair were joined by MiG-31s and Il-78 Midas.
Nato sent out F-35 stealth jets to intercept Putin’s supersonic strategic bombers.
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The jets flew close to northern Britain during a 13-hour long exercise.
Putin’s aircraft were flying to the north of the Shetland Islands and also close to Norway.
Nato Air Command said: “F-35 scrambled yesterday from Evenes, Norway due to Russian aircraft lying close to Nato Allied airspace.
“The 5th Gen fighters identified 2 Tu-160 Bombers, 2 MiG-31 & 2 Il-78 Midas.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin REUTERS“The Aircraft returned to Russia shorty after meeting the F-35s.”
The Kremlin claimed the flights were “routine”.
However, the interception took place amid high tensions between Russia and the West following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian defence ministry said: "Planes of the Russian Aerospace Forces' long-range aviation have performed routine flights in airspace over international waters of the Barents Sea, Norwegian Sea and Black Sea.
An American F-35 flying over Paris
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“Tu-160 strategic bombers and Tu-22M3 long-range bombers took part in the missions."
Lt-Gen Sergey Kobylash, commander of Russian long-range aviation, added: ”All the flights were carried out in strict conformity with international rules on the use of airspace.”
Putin's propagandists have repeatedly demanded he should deploy tactical nuclear missiles in the conflict.
The threat even extended to Western countries supplying arms to Kyiv.
The Tu-160 is a Russian supersonic variable-sweep wing strategic missile-carrying bomber dating from the Soviet era.
