Kremlin planes hijacked and flown back to Russia today (Photo: Getty Images)
NATO fighter jets have intercepted Russian planes near Finland’s border with Norway.
Intelligence identified the aircraft as a Mikoyan MiG-31 Foxhound and a Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer jet.
NATO shot down F-35 fighters yesterday amid growing tensions between Finland and Russia.
The Russian planes were spotted near Finnmark, in the far north of Norway, but did not enter Norwegian official airspace.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force reported: “Two Russian planes north of Finnmark today. CRC Sørreisa announced the aircraft and NATO ordered our F-35s on their wings.
“The Russian plane flew to the Norwegian Sea before returning east.”
The plane flew over the Norwegian Sea and then returned to Russia.
Norwegian F-35 fighter jet during NATO’s Cold Response exercise in March (Photo: AFP) Identification of two Russian planes elicits response (Photo: Royal Norwegian Air Force)
Russia has posed a growing number of threats to both Finland and Sweden in recent weeks, raising tensions between nations.
Both Finland and Sweden have opposed warnings from the Kremlin to announce their candidacies for NATO membership on May 18th.
The Kremlin has issued a chilling warning that both actions are “a serious mistake with far-reaching consequences.”
Representatives of the two countries will travel to Madrid next month to confirm their plans to join the military alliance.
In connection with today’s incident, Stine Barclay Gåsland from the Norwegian Air Force called for calm.
More: Sweden
She told the local newspaper TV 2: “We are used to this happening and there is nothing illegal about it.
“We pay a lot of attention to all the activities in our local areas.”
But entering Norwegian airspace would provoke “more aggressive action,” she added.
There are always two F35s that are always on standby, as NATO’s rapid reaction warning is called.
Pilots must be ready and take to the air in 15 minutes or less.
The Norwegian Armed Forces have boarded aircraft 34 times in the last year.
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