TWO Russian Tu-160 ‘White Swan’ strategic bombers practised firing nukes just miles north of the UK.
The tests come as mad Vladimir Putin conducts war games on NATO’s doorstep in a chilling warning.
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The aircraft practised firing nuclear-capable cruise missiles at a ‘mock enemy’ just miles from land over the Norwegian Sea, reports in Moscow said.
The nine hour flight over neutral waters to the north of Shetland as well as Barents Sea was part of Vladimir Putin’s Ocean-2024 war games, the largest sea-based military drills since the Soviet era.
The Russian defence ministry said: “Two Tu-160 strategic missile carriers of the long-range aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces performed a flight in the airspace over the neutral waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas as part of the Ocean-2024 strategic command and staff exercise.”
Russian news reports also said: “While performing the flight mission, the crews worked out training issues on delivering airstrikes with air-launched cruise missiles against critically important objects of the mock enemy.
“Fighter escort was provided by the crews of the Su-35S and Su-30SM aircraft.”
Around 400 warships, 120 aircraft and 90,000 personnel will take part in the drills until September 16 and happening all around the world.
The mission – seen on video – came amid high tension with the West over the war in Ukraine.
It coincided with the US and UK edging towards giving Kyiv approval to fire long range Western conventional missiles at military targets inside Russia used to cause mayhem in Ukraine.
“All flights of the aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces are carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace,” claimed the Russian defence ministry.
Nato’s reporting name for the planes is Blackjack, while Russia calls them the White Swan.
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