Russian military says US flights near Crimea fuel tensions

The Russian military on Friday accused the U.S. and its allies of provoking tensions in the Black Sea region with a sharp increase in the number of bomber patrols and intelligence flights.

Col.-Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Russian General Staff's main operational department, charged that the U.S. and other members of NATO have significantly increased the scope of their military activities in the region.

“The U.S. and its NATO allies will carry the full responsibility for a possible escalation of the situation in the region,” he said at a briefing.

Rudskoi pointed at a series of flights by the U.S. B-52 strategic bombers in August and September over the Black and the Azov Seas, alleging the missions were intended to simulate missile strikes at facilities in southern Russia. He said the bombers flew as close as 11 kilometers (less than 7 miles) to the Russian border.