Russian jets escort U.S. strategic bomber over Baltic Sea

Two Russian Su-27 fighters escorted a U.S. B-52H strategic bomber over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea until it left the Russian border, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The appearance of U.S. bombers near Russian borders created additional tension, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a briefing on Thursday.

The Russian jets took off to identify and accompany the U.S. bomber after it was detected "at a considerable distance" from the Russian border, the defense ministry said in a statement on Facebook.

After the B-52H changed its route and flew away from the Russian border, the Su-27 aircraft returned to their home airfield.

The ministry did not disclose the date of the incident.

According to media reports, the U.S. Air Force recently deployed six nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to Europe for "theater integration and flying training" drills with regional allies and North Atlantic Treaty Organization partners.