Earlier today NATO urgently scrambled two jets to fly over the Norwegian Sea and meet Russian aircraft, according to the Kremlin. Russia claims the western military alliance launched two fighter planes in response to Putin’s two nuclear missile-carrying jets patrolling the sea to the north-west of the UK.
Two TU-95MS planes were escorted into the sea by a fleet of Su35S aircraft, before planes from a NATO nation were deployed to the area. However, the Kremlin did not specify what type of aircraft was deployed nor from what country.
According to the MailOnline, a source said that the RAF did not launch any planes in response to the fly-over by Russian aircraft.
The Norwegian Sea is bordered by Britain to the south, Iceland to the west, Norway to the east and the Greenland Sea to the north.
Lieutenant-General Sergei Kobylash, commander of Russian long-range aviation, said: “The flight was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace.
“Long-range aviation pilots regularly fly over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Black and Baltic Seas.”
The alleged aerial face-off comes amid potential confrontation much closer to the Russian border, with one of the embattled country’s neighbours suggesting it may soon have a nuclear deterrent.
Russian aggression has seen a Polish general discuss the possibility that his country may arm itself with nuclear weapons.
Brigadier General Jaroslaw Kraszewski said that “those who possess nuclear capabilities have a very high level of security”.
He added: “Usually, such countries are not attacked and the possibility of any action aimed at provoking a local crisis is not even considered.
“That is why I see having such an arsenal as a challenge in the coming years. I hope it will come to that.”
Brigadier General Kraszewski said the possibility of Putin attacking a NATO member was “very real” but added that talks about the possibility of moving nuclear weapons to Poland would only resume once the war in Ukraine concluded.
He branded Moscow as an “unpredictable neighbour”, adding: “Western Europe is fed up with being intimidated by Russia.”
