Russian and Chinese jets recently conducted a joint patrol over far eastern Russia and the Bering Sea near Alaska. Both Moscow and Beijing emphasized that the mission was not intended as a show of force against any third country.
On Wednesday, the patrol included nuclear-capable bombers, following a statement from Moscow that U.S. strategic bombers had approached Russian airspace. Russia reported that its Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers and China’s Xian H-6 bombers carried out the patrol over the Chukchi and Bering Seas and the North Pacific Ocean.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) earlier reported that American and Canadian fighter jets intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers in international airspace near Alaska. According to NORAD, the bombers remained in international airspace and did not pose a threat.
Moscow stated that the patrol adhered to international law and did not enter foreign airspace, although foreign fighter jets accompanied the patrol at certain points. Russia described the mission as part of a 2024 military cooperation plan, explicitly stating it was not aimed at any third country.
China’s defense ministry echoed this sentiment, noting that the patrol was not directed at any particular nation and was unrelated to the current international or regional situation.
The patrol included footage from Russia’s defense ministry showing the bombers taking off and landing. The Tu-95MS bombers, developed during the Soviet era, are equipped with long-range cruise missiles and are part of Russia’s nuclear triad. Similarly, the Xian H-6 bombers are also nuclear-capable.
In recent years, China and Russia have strengthened their military ties, conducting joint exercises regularly. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China in May following his re-election and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping again at a regional summit in Kazakhstan earlier this month.
Additionally, Russia reported on Sunday that it had scrambled fighter jets to intercept two U.S. strategic bombers approaching its border over the Barents Sea in the Arctic. The U.S. military regularly conducts flights over international waters, which it maintains are carried out in neutral airspace, but Moscow has responded more aggressively in recent months.
