Russia flew nuclear bombers around…
Russia flew nuclear bombers around the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, the same day that Moscow complained about the annual joint U. S.-South Korean military exercises.
According to Reuters, Russia sent Tupolev-95MS bombers — known as “Bears” by NATO — over the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. Reuters reported that Sukhoi-35S fighter jets and A-50 planes equipped with advanced intelligence-gathering capabilities accompanied the bombers.
Some military experts view the bombers as relics of the Cold War. However, Reuters reported that Russia uses these upgraded bombers to back its diplomacy with shows of force.
According to Reuters, Tokyo and Seoul both scrambled fighter jets to act as escorts for the bombers around parts of the Korean Peninsula. Reuters also noted that Japan had to scramble fighter jets to intercept Russian aircraft twice before this year.
Moscow released a statement on the same day the flights occurred denouncing the U. S.-South Korean joint exercises and urging “maximum caution” for all sides.
“The US and South Korea holding yet more large-scale military and naval exercises does not help reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula, ” Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, said during a news briefing in Moscow.
