The US Missile Destroyer Expelled Last Week, Yesterday Was B-1B Lancer Bombers' Turn To Be Intercepted By Russian MiG-31 Fighter Jets

Illustration of a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet. (Wikimedia Commons/Mil.ru/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation)

JAKARTA - The Russian military is again 'dealing' with the United States' military power in the Sea of Japan. After last week's 'incident' with the USS Chafee (DDG-90) Missile Destroyer, yesterday it was the turn of the United States bombers.

Russian Air Force MiG-31 fighter jets were deployed to intercept and escort the United States' B-1B Lancer bombers over the Sea of Japan, Russia's National Defense Management Center said Sunday.

Russia's Center for National Defense Management said Russia's airspace control system detected an aerial target over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan approaching the country's borders. The Russian Mikoyan MiG-31 of the Eastern Military District air defense rapid reaction warning force was deployed to identify.

"The crew of the Russian fighter jet identified the target as a US B-1B Lancer bomber and escorted it over the Sea of Japan. No violation of Russia's state borders is permitted, the National Defense Management Center said, citing TASS 17 October.

Last Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry summoned the US military attache, after the USS Chafee (DDG-90) Missile Destroyer was judged to have acted 'unprofessionally' by attempting to cross Russia's border in the Sea of Japan.

"The position of the Russian military agency was communicated to representatives of the US armed forces in relation to the attempted destruction of the US Navy Chafee violating the state border of the Russian Federation in the Peter the Great Bay region on October 15," the Ministry of Defense said.

As emphasized by the Ministry of Defense, the unprofessional actions of the American crew were brought to the attention of the military attache, because they were in gross violation of international regulations for preventing collisions at sea, as well as the provisions of Russia - United States agreement on preventing incidents at sea and in airspace.

The US military attache was summoned to the Main Directorate of International Military Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Defense on the evening of October 15.

It is known, on October 15 at around 17.00 local time, the USS Chafee Missile Destroyer (DDG-90) of the United States Navy, approached the territorial waters of the Russian Federation and attempted to cross the country's border. The Pacific Fleet's large anti-submarine warship Admiral Tributs prevented the destroyer from encroaching on the country's borders.