Russian Tu-95MS Bombers Carrying Kh-101 Missiles Flew Over Barents and Norwegian Seas

Russian Tu-95MS bombers carrying Kh-101 missiles flew over the waters of the Barents and Norwegian seas.

Russian news agency TASS reported this and published a video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry.

The aircraft remained airborne for five hours. Russian Navy Su-33 crews provided fighter escort.

The Russian provocation did not go unnoticed by NATO countries. In response, they scrambled fighter jets to escort the Russian aircraft.

The route ran from the Barents Sea to the Norwegian Sea and back, over waters north of the Scandinavian countries.

Strategic bombers typically do not carry missiles during training flights, but this time Russia armed the aircraft with Kh-101 cruise missiles.

The Russian Kh-101 strategic cruise missile is designed to strike ground targets at long range.

The Tu-95MS is its primary carrier and launches the missiles from the internal MKU-6-5 launcher and external hardpoints.

After launch, the Kh-101 flies to its target autonomously, using a navigation and flight correction system.

Russia uses such provocations to demonstrate military power, test the response and readiness of NATO forces, and create additional tensions near the Alliance’s borders.

At the same time, flights by strategic bombers carrying missiles may be an element of psychological pressure and a signal of Moscow’s readiness to potentially use long-range weapons.

Militarnyi recently reported that Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-22M3 long-range bombers flew over the Baltic Sea.