Russian airspace control systems detected two air targets approaching the Russian state border over the neutral waters of the Black Sea and two Su-27 fighters from the Southern Military District's air defence forces were scrambled to identify them, the NDCC said.
"The crews of Russian fighters identified the aerial targets as strategic bombers B-52H of the US Air Force and escorted them over the Black Sea", the statement says.
The Russian Armed Forces detected 44 foreign jets that were engaged in reconnaissance activities close to Russia’s airspace last week, the military’s official newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda reported on 18 September.
A weekly infographic published by the outlet showed that Russian fighter jets had been scrambled five times to intercept foreign aircraft.
The foreign jets had been prevented from illegally entering Russia’s airspace, the newspaper said.
Within this period of time, Russia has also spotted 10 unmanned aerial vehicles, which were carrying out reconnaissance missions near the Russian borders.