Russian fighter escorts US bombers over Bering Sea

MiG-31 fighters fly in formation during the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War on Red Square in Moscow, Russia, June 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

A Russian MiG-31 fighter escorted two U.S. strategic bombers over the Bering Sea on Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

On Thursday, Russian airspace control systems spotted two air targets approaching the Russian border over the neutral waters of the Bering Sea, and a MiG-31 fighter belonging to the Pacific Fleet was scrambled in response, it said.

The crew of the Russian plane approached the air targets to identify them as two U.S. Air Force B-1B strategic bombers, and followed them until they flew away from the Russian border, it said.

The flight of the Russian fighter strictly complied with international rules for the use of airspace, it added.