MOSCOW: Rare footage from a nuclear-capable Russian bomber recently documented a tense close encounter between its fighter escort and a NATO air policing interceptor.
The video, shared on the Russian Telegram channel “warhistoryalconafter,” shows a Tu-22M3 strategic bomber being monitored by a German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon over the Baltic Sea.
In the footage, the Su-30SM escort of the bomber positions itself between the Tu-22M3 and the NATO jet, maintaining a watchful presence on the Typhoon’s left wing during part of the flight. Newsweek was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
The Baltic Sea, home to Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave and its Baltic Fleet, frequently witnesses encounters between Russian and NATO aircraft as both sides seek to prevent border violations. Earlier, Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the deployment of two Tu-22M3 bombers, along with Su-30 and Su-27 fighter jets, for a patrol over international waters in the Baltic Sea.
The training exercise lasted five hours and involved the Russian bombers being escorted by foreign fighter aircraft, likely referring to the NATO jets.
The video also captured a second, smaller aircraft in the distance, which might have been another German Luftwaffe jet. This sighting aligns with a Russian Defense Ministry video released the same day.
German Air Force photos showed its Eurofighter Typhoon monitoring the Russian aircraft, which were confirmed to be armed. Germany noted that the air policing mission had been transferred to Sweden’s quick reaction alert squadron, which operates JAS 39 Gripen fighters, marking a role for NATO’s newest member.
In a separate development on Wednesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported a training sortie involving two Tu-95MS strategic cruise missile carriers escorted by MiG-31 fighters over the Barents and Norwegian seas. This exercise, which lasted four hours, also saw encounters with foreign fighter jets, including what appeared to be at least one F/A-18 Hornet used by the Finnish Air Force.
