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| Britain |
| Russia stages nuclear bomber drills north of the UK |
| 2026-06-23 |
| [DM] Russia has staged nuclear drills off the north of Britain, as one of Vladimir Putin's leading lieutenants advocates for the use of atomic weapons. Tu-160 supersonic strategic bombers conducted a 16-hour mission over the neutral waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas. F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighters from Nato intercepted the Russian bombers at a moment of high tension as Russia's President Putin refuses to halt his war in Ukraine. The Norwegian Sea lies north of Shetland, the UK's most northerly island grouping, between Norway and Iceland. The Russian nuclear bombers were escorted by a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor aircraft and the Tu-160s practised in-flight refuelling, the defence ministry in Moscow revealed early today. The Norwegian Air Force was involved in intercepting and tracking the Putin aircraft. The Tupolev Tu-160 - Nato reporting name 'Blackjack' - is the largest and heaviest combat aircraft ever to enter operational service. It can carry up to 45 tonnes of weapons internally, including both nuclear and conventional long-range cruise missiles. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |