Russia scrambles MiG-31 interceptor jet to accompany US military plane over Barents sea

Watch:

The Russian military said the US military plane was P-8A Poseidon aircraft, reports claimed. The US plane reportedly flew back from the Russian border.

The incident comes barely days after the Russian defence ministry had said that a Su-27 fighter jet was scrambled to escort a US B-52H bomber over the Baltic Sea. The Russian defence ministry said it had identified an "air target and prevented the violation of the Russian state border".

In April, Russia had said it had intercepted an RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft which was accompanied by a MiG-31 aircraft.

Amid tension with the West over Belarus, the Russian defence ministry had announced a joint military drill with Belarusian forces in the summer named Zapad-2021. Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said "massive use of aviation is planned" during the exercise.

With tensions escalating with NATO, the Russian defence minister said Russian forces will deploy around 20 new military formations and units near its border with the West by the end of the year.

Russian officials earlier had asked for closer monitoring of NATO's sea Breeze 2021 exercise involving Ukraine. The Sea Breeze 2021 exercise is scheduled to take place between June 28 to July 10.

Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich at a meeting in Vienna had said attempts to militarise Ukraine and flood the country with weapons would "encourage hotheads in Kiev to step up military activities in the country’s east."