Britain and Norway to watch Russian bombers approaching their air space

[lovuian]

http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/20-07-2007/95089-russian_bombers-0

Fighter planes from Britain and Norway scrambled on Friday to keep watch on Russian bombers that were approaching the countries' air space, officials said.




The incidents occurred amid high tensions between Britain and Russia, as each country ordered the expulsion of four diplomats from the other side. There was no indication that the fighter plans were connected to the row.

Norwegian military spokesman Lt. Col. John Inge Oeglaend told The Associated Press said his country's F-16s were sent into action twice: once when two Russian Tu-95 bombers headed south along the Norwegian coast in international air space. They turned around above Aberdeen on Scotland's North Sea coast.

In the second, two Tu-160 bombers were spotted flying near Norwegian air space over the Barents Sea, he said.

Oeglaend characterized the incidents as routine and but said it was a "bit unusual that the first two bombers went so far south." Aberdeen's latitude is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) below the southern tip of Norway.
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I guess Putin is leaving an impression over this US Missile shield

[TheBaldyMan]

1. That is routine procedure

During the cold war it happened regularly, nowadays it still happens, just much less frequently.

It's only getting press attention because of the tit-for-tat expulsion row between the RFS & UK.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. We are at this again?

Gee this was done so many times... hell my brother in law can tell stories

[lovuian]

3. I bet he can

Russia didn't like the booting out of its men from britain

[TheBaldyMan]

4. Russia and the UK regularly boot out diplomats, remember the rubber rock incident?

This is the usual tit-for-tat nonsense that occurs every time someone is caught out.

[NeedleCast]

5. More to do with the spy scandal from awhile ago

I guess Putin is leaving an impression over this US Missile shield

Ex-KGB guy living in the UK got poisoned and it was linked to Russia. UK expelled several Russian diplomats and the Russians in turn expelled several UK diplomats, then "buzzed the tower" by sending bombers marginally closer than usual to UK and Norwegian airspace.

I don't think it's anything beyond the usual diplomatic saber rattling.