On Alert for New War: Russian Nuclear Bomber Shadowed by Mystery Jet for 16 Hours

A Russian Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bomber has conducted exercises over the Barents and Norwegian Seas, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday (23/6/2026), amid heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO over the Ukraine conflict. The aircraft was escorted by MiG-31 fighter jets and carried out in-flight refuelling drills. The ministry described the flight as a routine patrol mission in the Arctic region between Norway, Iceland, and Greenland. “All flights by the Russian Aerospace Forces are conducted in accordance with international regulations governing the use of airspace,” the ministry stated via Telegram. Despite this, Russia said the bomber was shadowed by fighter jets from an unnamed foreign country. The mystery jet followed the mission for 16 hours. Russia and its ally Belarus conducted their first joint nuclear exercises last month. President Vladimir Putin stated that nuclear deterrence protects the sovereignty of both countries at a time of “rising global tensions and the emergence of new threats and risks.” Moscow has warned that NATO’s military support for Ukraine and increasing militarisation in Europe could lead to a wider conflict. “A direct confrontation between NATO and Russia could rapidly escalate into a nuclear strike, with catastrophic consequences,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wrote in a recent op-ed rejected by Politico Europe. He expressed deep concern over French proposals to extend its nuclear deterrence to Germany and other NATO members. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum this month, Putin reiterated that Russia would not attack NATO members unless Russia was attacked first. Russia considers the exercises to have been conducted in neutral waters. However, Norway is a NATO member that joined the alliance in 1949, while Greenland belongs to Denmark, another alliance member that also joined in the same year.