Russia scrambles Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets to escort US strategic bombers over Black Sea

At least two Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets from the Russian Air Force intercepted two US B-1B strategic bombers over the Black Sea, the RIA news agency reported on October 20, citing Russia's Defense Ministry. "Russian fighter crew identified the aerial target as two US Air Force supersonic strategic B-1B bombers, that were accompanied by two KC-135 refuelling planes," the Russian defense ministry said in a statement, as it also shared video footage of US bombers escorted by the Russian fighter jets. It added that the Russian aircraft escorted them over the waters of the Black Sea. "After the foreign warplanes had been turned away from Russia's state border, the Russian fighters safely returned to their home airbase,” the statement from the Russian defense ministry further read. 

Russian aircraft similarly intercepted the US bombers earlier on Sunday over the Sea of Japan. Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement that it prevented a US Navy destroyer from trying to enter its territorial waters in the Sea of Japan. the ministry stated that the Russian Admiral Tributs approached the US destroyer, USS Chafee after the US destroyer ignored the repeated warning as it attempted to enter Moscow's sovereign waters.

B-1B bombers have been deployed by the United States to conduct a series of exercises with NATO allies across the Arctic, the Baltics and the Black Sea, the Air Force Magazine reported. And just last month, the US Air Force Global Strike Command retired the last of 17 B-1Bs bombers from its inventory, leaving a fleet of 45 aircraft as the last of the aircraft departed Edwards Air Force Base, California. As the Russian aircraft escorted the US fighter planes, the ministry informed that the procedure was carried out safely in strict compliance with international airspace policies. It also added that the US B-1B strategic bombers did not violate the Russian airspace. 

[US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is visiting Black Sea countries. Image: AP]

US Defense Secretary says Russia 'obstacle for peace' 

During a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Taran, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who is on an official visit to countries in the Black Sea region said that Russia is the obstacle to peace in eastern Ukraine. He then pledged to bolster the defence cooperation with Kyiv. "Let's be clear, that Russia started this war and Russia is the obstacle to a peaceful resolution," Austin said.

He further asked Russia to "end its occupation of Crimea, to stop perpetuating the war in eastern Ukraine, to end its destabilizing activities in the Black Sea and along Ukraine's borders." Austin stated that the US aimed to strengthen ties with the Black Sea countries, including Romania and Georgia to counter the Russian influence in the region. Ukrainian forces have been fighting the Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk since  February 2014. The Russo-Ukrainian conflict involves a fight around the status of the Ukrainian regions of Crimea, that Russia has annexed, as well as the region of Donbas. 

Image: Twitter/@MrPrismakov/representative image