Russia says it has flown two nuclear-capable bombers to its Far East region across from Alaskan territory, an action state media claim demonstrates the Kremlin's ability to base such warplanes near U. The Russian Defense Ministry said on August 14 that the Tupolev TU Soviet-era bombers traveled more than 6, kilometers in eight hours from their base near Saratov to Anadyr in the Chuktoka region opposite the U.
The supersonic aircraft is capable of carrying up to 12 short-range nuclear missiles and of flying 12, kilometers without refueling. The Defense Ministry said the mission was part of a tactical exercise that would last until the end of the week. It said the purpose was to practice the ability to transfer assets from their home bases to operational airfields.
Rosiiskaya gazeta, the official Russian government newspaper, said the flight displayed Moscow's ability to base nuclear bombers within 20 minutes flying time to United States. From Anadyr to Alaska, less than kilometers -- for a Tu, it's 20 minutes," the newspaper said. NATO on August 14 said the alliance warplanes approached the two Russian Su escort jets to make visual identification because they had been traveling over the Baltic Sea without a flight plan and with their transponders shut off.
On August 9, the U. The action took place after the Russian planes entered the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones, which extend some kilometers off Alaska's western coast. The planes remained in international airspace and never entered over U.
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