OREANDA-NEWS. The fighter jet MiG-31 of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Air Force took off to intercept the Norwegian military patrol aircraft P-3C Orion over the Barents Sea. This was reported on August 26 by the National Defense Management Center of Russia.

According to the agency, the Russian radar station detected an air target over the neutral waters of the Barents Sea, approaching the state border of the Russian Federation. “To identify the air target and prevent violation of the state border of the Russian Federation, a fighter MiG-31 from the air defense forces of the Northern Fleet was raised into the air. The crew of the Russian fighter approached a safe distance to the air object and identified it as an airplane of the basic patrol aviation P-3S Orion of the Norwegian Air Force,” the Center’s statements says.

It is noted that the Norwegian plane was not allowed to violate the Russian state border. “After the foreign military aircraft turned away from the state border of the Russian Federation, the Russian fighter returned safely to the home base,” the military added, noting that the flight of the Russian aircraft was carried out in strict accordance with the requirements of international airspace rules.