Air Force)A Russian fighter jet intercepted a U.S. B-52 bomber over the Baltic Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry told Russian media outlets Tuesday. A spokesman for the U.S. European Command, Air Force Lt. Col. David Faggard, said he was aware of the Russian reports. Several B-52s, along with a contingent of maintenance troops, arrived in Britain in recent days to participate in NATO exercises happening this summer. Last month, a Russian aircraft came within 20 feet of a U.S. surveillance plane over the Baltic Sea in an incident the Pentagon called “routine.” Additionally, U.S. aircraft intercepted a number of Russian bombers near the coast of Alaska in May. NATO jets intercepted Russian aircraft more than 100 times near the Baltic States in 2016, according to data provided by the Lithuania Defense Ministry to a regional news agency.

Source: Washington Post June 06, 2017 12:48 UTC