VLADIMIR Putin rattled Britain at Christmas by sending hulking Tu-95MS strategic nuclear bombers on a menacing long-range flight over the Norwegian Sea.
Nato was compelled to scramble warplanes to trace the Russian “Bears” as they prowled near the UK’s northern approaches amid hovering tensions over the conflict in Ukraine.
Moscow boasted of the mission, saying: “Tu-95MS long-range bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces made a scheduled flight within the airspace over the impartial waters of the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea.”
“The flight length was greater than seven hours.”
The bombers have been escorted by Su-33 fighter jets from the Russian Navy, underlining the muscle behind the message.
Russia additionally acknowledged NATO shadowing the plane, including: “At sure phases of the route, long-range bombers have been escorted by fighter jets of international international locations,” with out naming which allied air forces moved to intercept.
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The conflict sport flight appeared a calculated Kremlin transfer to needle the West at Christmas.
Russia, in contrast, celebrates Christmas on 7 January beneath the Orthodox calendar.
The Norwegian Sea lies to the northeast of Scotland, between Norway and Iceland – uncomfortably near British airspace.
The Tu-95MS “Bears”, first flown within the Fifties, stay a central pillar of Putin’s nuclear triad.
Deafeningly loud and unmistakable, the Tupolevs are the world’s solely propeller-powered strategic bombers.
Past nuclear signalling, the identical plane have been used to launch devastating missile strikes on Ukraine, leaving widespread dying and destruction.
It comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a darkish Christmas message that appeared to trace on the dying of Vladimir Putin after Russian forces unleashed a brand new wave of strikes on Ukraine.
His deal with was broadcast solely hours after Kyiv proposed freezing the entrance line and organising demilitarised zones, in a bid to safe a Christmas peace breakthrough.
Talking to the Ukrainian residents on Christmas Eve, Zelensky mentioned: “My expensive folks, since historical occasions, Ukrainians believed that on Christmas night time, the heavens open.
“And when you inform them your dream, it’ll certainly come true. Immediately, all of us have one dream. And we’ve got one want for everybody: ‘Could he perish,’ as everybody says to themselves.”
Zelensky appeared to discuss with Putin, earlier than including: “However once we flip to God, after all, we ask for one thing higher.
“We ask for peace for Ukraine. We battle for it. And we pray for it. And we deserve it.”
Zelensky additionally expressed hope that goodness and fact would prevail.
He added: “That there could also be a victory of peace. That there could also be us. And that there could also be Ukraine.”
His deal with got here as Russia pressed on with its blitz of Ukraine, hitting crucial power infrastructure on Christmas Eve.
At the very least one individual was injured because the strikes slammed into the cities of Kharkiv and Sumy.
