Moscow views Oslo’s decision to deploy American bombers at its airbase as a step towards increasing military activity. This was announced on February 11 by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova at a briefing.
“We drew attention to the information about the preparations for the deployment of a squadron of American strategic bombers at the Norwegian airbase in the Trondheim area in order to conduct joint exercises with the Norwegian Air Force. We regard this Oslo decision as another step in a whole chain of similar actions to increase military activity in the Far North in the immediate vicinity of the Russian borders, ” Zakharova said.
The US media reported on February 3 that the US Air Force intended to deploy four B-1 bombers and 200 pilots in Norway in order to exert “pressure” on Russia.
According to press reports, the US military intended to fly from an airbase in Texas and be deployed at a military airfield in central Norway to conduct the first exercises.
It is noted that there are also F-35 fighters at the Norwegian military airfield. It is expected that bombers and fighters will take part in military exercises together with the navy and ground forces of the northern parts of the NATO alliance.
In October 2020, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian MiG-31 and Su-35 fighters were climbing to intercept two US Air Force B-1B strategic bombers over the Bering Sea. It was indicated that no violation of the Russian border was allowed. The fighter returned to the home base after the turn of foreign military aircraft.
