Vladimir Putin deployed nuclear bombers to intimidate northern Britain during a lengthy flight over the Norwegian Sea around Christmas time. NATO responded by dispatching warplanes to monitor the sizable Russian aircraft known as “Bears,” which were accompanied by Su-33 fighter jets on their route seemingly designed to provoke Western nations near Santa’s traditional North Pole trajectory.
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that Tu-95MS long-range bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted a planned flight over neutral waters in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea, lasting over seven hours. The ministry noted that the bombers were escorted by foreign fighter jets at specific points along the journey, without specifying the countries involved.
Situated to the northeast of Scotland, the Norwegian Sea lies between Norway and Iceland. The “Bears,” first introduced in the 1950s, remain a significant component of Putin’s nuclear arsenal. These loud Tupolev aircraft are the sole propeller-driven strategic bombers worldwide.
Furthermore, these planes have been utilized in launching destructive conventional missile attacks that have resulted in extensive casualties and damage in Ukraine. Recently, NATO scrambled fighter jets in response to a severe missile assault by Putin’s forces on Ukraine, which included 51 missiles and 653 strike drones targeting civilian infrastructure, leading to power outages and heating disruptions amid freezing temperatures. The assault also struck a major thermal power plant in Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymr Zelensky’s birthplace.
Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 585 drones, 29 cruise missiles, and one ballistic missile during the attack, which involved Tu-95MS and Tu-160MS strategic bombers and prompted NATO member Poland to deploy warplanes. The Polish Armed Forces’ Operational Command activated necessary resources due to the increased Russian air force activity conducting strikes in Ukraine.