MOSCOW (Dispatches) – A Russian warplane was scrambled on Sunday to chase a U.S. B-1B Lancer bomber away after radars picked it up close to the nation’s airspace over the Sea of Japan, the defense ministry announced.
“A MiG-31 fighter was scrambled to identify the aerial target and prevent it from violating the Russian state border,” the ministry said, adding that the operation strictly followed international guidelines, Sputnik reported.
The statement by the ministry was issued days after another incident in the Sea of Japan, when the U.S. Navy destroyer Chafee (DDG-90) approached Russian territory and attempted to cross the border. However, a large anti-submarine warfare ship, the Admiral Tributs of the Russian Pacific Fleet, managed to chase away the intruder.
The U.S., however, denied the incident took place.
Russian forces have frequently experienced encountering U.S. and NATO forces during dangerous and provocative military exercises at sea and in the air near its borders.
In June, Russia said that it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British warship, chasing it away from the coast of Crimea in the Black Sea.
Since the Cold War ended in the 80s and early 90s, it was the first time Russia was using live ammo to ward off a NATO warship.
Tensions have been rising between Russia and the West over past years, especially after Crimea rejoined Russia.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin headed to the Black Sea region Sunday aiming to shore up alliances anti-Russia countries.
Austin will visit Georgia, Romania and Ukraine before taking part in the in-person defense ministers summit at NATO in Brussels on October 21-22.
“We are reassuring and reinforcing the sovereignty of countries that are on the front lines of Russian aggression,” a senior U.S. defense official told reporters ahead of the trip.
All three countries are in the NATO orbit -- Romania a full member and Georgia and Ukraine partner states.