March 25, 2024 (EIRNS)—The Russian Defense Ministry reported the approach of a pair of U.S. B-1B bombers towards Russian airspace over the Barents Sea yesterday. A Russian MiG-31 went up to investigate. “As the Russian fighter approached, the U.S. strategic bombers corrected their flight course with a distance and subsequent turn away from the state border of the Russian Federation,” the ministry said.
It’s not clear where the B-1Bs began their flight from but, according to The Barents Observer, the Norwegian Joint Headquarters near Bodø confirmed that the two bombers were inside Norwegian airspace before flying out over international airspace in the Barents Sea. “The activity included both Norwegian and international airspace,” says spokesman Reidar Flasnes. “We cannot detail the activity,” Flasnes said and pointed to the United States as in charge of the March 24 flights. He added that the flights were “approved by Norway’s Ministry of Defense.”
