Russia slams US Air Force show of strength over Siberian Sea as ‘hostile and provocative’

The US Air Force flew three B-1 heavy bombers over the East Siberian Sea, north of Russia's far east, as part of a series of recent manoeuvres that the military said are meant to demonstrate American capabilities and ability to support allies, but which a top Russian commander blasted as "hostile and provocative."

The flight of the three Texas-based US Air Force Reserve B-1 Lancer bombers on Thursday followed a similar mission a week ago in which three B-52 bombers temporarily based in Britain were flown over Ukrainian airspace, near Russia's southwestern flank.

US European Command said that following the flight from Texas to the East Siberian Sea, the Lancers landed at a nearby American airbaseair base in Alaska.

Stuttgart-based EUCOM said in a statement that the flight and the deployment of the B-52s to England showcased how US-based assets “can be employed to achieve an operational objective on USEUCOM's eastern and western flanks”.