Article Posted on : - Mar 26, 2010

MOSCOW (BNS): A day after Britain's allegation that two Russian strategic bombers violated its airspace early this month, Russia on Friday refuted the charges.

"Tu-160 strategic bombers did indeed make routine flights over the Arctic and Atlantic oceans on March 10, but there were no airspace violations," Russian Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

Britain's Defence Ministry, had on Thursday, alleged that Russia's Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers had entered its air space on March 10 following which two of the Royal Air Force's Tornado F3 fighters took off from their base at Leuchars in Fife.

Lt. Col. Drik said that the Russian Air Force had, on March 12, issued a statement saying that two of its T-160 bombers had conducted an 11-hour “routine patrol mission” over the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.

"The Russian bombers were escorted by two NATO F-16 Fighting Falcons of the Norwegian AF and two RAF Tornados," the statement had said.

"All flights of Air Force aircraft were and are fulfilled in strict compliance with the international rules on the use of airspace over neutral waters, without violation of other states' borders," Drik said.