Vladimir Putin sent supersonic strategic nuclear bombers to fly north of the Shetland Isles which were also used in the invasion of Ukraine.
The move is seen as an attempt to intimidate the UK by staging the military exercises in the Norwegian Sea and the British Isles.
Moscow said the flights are “routine” exercises without entering the UK’s airspace in an intimidatory move as tensions are the highest since the Cuban missile crisis and the Cold War.
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The long-range Tupolev Tu-160 and the Tupolev Tu22M3 bomber carried out 13 hours of exercises and were escorted by a Su-30M and a MiG-31 fighter aircraft.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the aircraft flew over international waters of the Barents Sea and the Black Sea.
The Russian MoD 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.
Tu-160 strategic bombers and Tu-22M3 long-range bombers took part in the missions.
Commander of Russian long-range aviation, Lieutenant-General Sergey Kobylash said that the flights “were carried out in strict conformity with international rules on the use of airspace.”
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