UK fighters 'sent to meet Russian bombers'

From correspondents in London
July 18, 2007 09:28pm


ROYAL Air Force fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian bombers heading for British airspace, The Times said today, prompting fierce denials of brinkmanship from Moscow.

The newspaper said two RAF Tornados from its rapid reaction force took off from RAF base Leeming in northern England to confront the two Tu95 "Bear" bombers after they were shadowed by F-16s from the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

An unnamed RAF spokesman was quoted as saying that the Russian bombers, based near the northern port city of Murmansk in the Arctic Circle, turned back before they reached British airspace.

The Times, which said the incident happened yesterday, said there was no evidence to suggest it was linked to Britain's planned expulsion of four diplomats over Russia's stance on the Alexander Litvinenko affair.

Russia yesterday promised a "targeted and appropriate" response to Britain's move, prompted by Moscow's refusal to extradite an ex-KGB agent suspected of poisoning the outspoken dissident in London last year.

But the daily said it smacked of "old-fashioned sabre-rattling" on the part of the Russian military and revived "the spirit of the Cold War" in the North Atlantic.

No-one at the defence ministry in London was immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP but there were swift denials from Russia.

Air force colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky was quoted by the news agency Interfax as saying: "Claims that Russian bombers were headed for British airspace don't correspond with reality.

"Long-distance planes were making planned flights over international waters. These kind of flights have been and are carried out to train long-distance flight crews."

Air force general-colonel Alexander Zelin told Interfax that long-distance planes hold regular flight exercises, including bomb and rocket launches.

But he added: "We plan our bomber flights in international airspace according to our military preparation programme at least six months in advance. And we warn the relevant countries in advance.

"These aren't shows of force or sabre-rattling, but planned military preparations. What's more, we make timely applications to use international air corridors."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22095562-38200,00.html


Russia denies bombers planned to enter UK airspace
Reuters
Published: Wednesday, July 18, 2007

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's air force commander denied on Wednesday two of his long-range bombers intended to enter British air space on Tuesday, saying the planes were on a training flight unconnected to recent diplomatic tension between London and Moscow.

Britain's Royal Air Force scrambled fighter jets to intercept the Tupolev "Bear" bombers as they headed towards British air space, but a Defence Ministry spokesman in London said the bombers turned back long before reaching Britain.

"Our planes were flying planned flights over neutral waters," Russian Air Force Commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin told the Interfax news agency. "Such flights have been carried out and will be carried out in line with a plan for training long-range aircraft crews."

The incident, with its echoes of Cold War military standoffs, came amid a furious diplomatic row between London and Moscow.

Britain has ordered the expulsion of four Russian diplomats after Moscow refused to extradite the key suspect in the murder of a Russian emigre in London last year.

Russia's Zelin said any suggestion that the bombers' flights were related to recent tension between the two countries was "sheer nonsense", Interfax added.

"We plan flights of bombers in line with a combat training programme at least half a year beforehand," it quoted him as saying. "We resolve our domestic problems in training flight crews and do not interfere in politics."

The Tupolev Tu-95, codenamed "Bear" by NATO, is Russia's equivalent of the U.S. B-52 bomber and is a Cold War icon. Originally designed to drop nuclear weapons, it has been adapted for a wide variety of roles including surveillance and maritime patrol.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=769cc1c9-2f59-4ece-a661-56eff65b04da&k=33978


Russia denies violating U.K. airspace
14:06 | 18/ 07/ 2007



MOSCOW, July 18 (RIA Novosti) - Reports in the British media that two Russian strategic bombers violated U.K. airspace are untrue, an aide to the Russian Air Force commander said Wednesday.

British media reported earlier Wednesday that RAF fighters were scrambled to intercept Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers that had taken off from an airbase on the Kola Peninsula, in Russia's north, and were flying in the direction of the U.K.

"Reports that Russian bombers were flying towards British airspace are untrue. The long-range aircraft were on a scheduled mission over international waters," Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky quoted Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin, Air Force commander, as saying.

Gen. Zelin dismissed as rubbish speculation to the effect that Russian bomber flights were linked to an ongoing diplomatic flap between the two countries.

"Bomber flights in international airspace are planned at least six months ahead, and we inform all countries concerned about them in advance," his aide quoted him as saying.

The U.K. decided to expel four Russian diplomats and suspend visa facilitation talks with Moscow after Russia refused to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, the U.K.'s key suspect in the Alexander Litvinenko murder case, citing Russia's Constitution that does not permit the extradition of Russian nationals.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070718/69179730.html