Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers perform flight over Arctic and Far East

On 20 October 2020, two Tupolev Tu-95MS Long-Range Aviation (LRA) strategic bombers of the Russian Federation - Aerospace Forces (RF VKS) performed a planned 12-hour flight over the neutral waters of the Chukchi, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as the northern part of the Pacific Ocean.

At certain stages of the route, the Russian bombers were escorted by two 3rd Wing, Alaskan based, Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptors.

The Tu-95MSs took off from an airfield on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The Tu-95MS flight was accompanied by two Sukhoi Su-35S fighters of the 11th Air Force and Air Defense Army and two Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-31BM interceptors of the Pacific Fleet.

LRA pilots regularly fly over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Black and Baltic seas.

The two LRA Tu-95MSs that were involved are:
RF-94194 with Bort code 52 Red
RF-94195 with Bort code 53 Red

Photos: NORAD and Russian MoD