Russian bombers were escorted away from the UK by RAF planes after 'buzzing' Britain
Footage has emerged of the planes being intercepted before they were escorted away from the north coast of Scotland.
The Tu-160 ‘White Swans’ targeted the North Sea, the Moscow defence ministry admitted.
Their 15-hour flights came amid some of the highest East/West tensions since the end of the Cold War three decades ago.
Russia admitted that British reports were correct and the strategic bombers were escorted by RAF Typhoons as they approached the UK.
It came as tens of thousands of Russian soldiers are camping near the border with Ukraine amid fears an invasion is being planned within the Kremlin.
It was confirmed by the RAF that British planes had intercepted two Tu-160 bombers before the footage emerged.
"Two strategic Tu-160 long-range aviation rocket carriers performed a scheduled flight in the air space above the neutral waters of the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas,” said the Russian defence ministry.
“The duration of the flight amounted to about 15 hours.”
During their voyages the Russian aircraft were intercepted and escorted by the Royal Air Force, reported TASS, citing military sources.
The Tu-160s, supersonic variable sweep wing heavy strategic nuclear bombers known in the West as Blackjacks, were intercepted by Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth and Coningsby, said British military sources.
An RAF source said: "Typhoon fighters were scrambled against unidentified aircraft approaching the UK area."
Russia said: ”All flights of aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Force are performed in strict compliance with the international rules of using air space.”
The Mirror told of the jets being intercepted yesterday which followed a similar incident in August involving Typhoons being scrambled.
Planes were also then sent from RAF Lossiemouth to intercept the Russian planes.
The RAF later released an update regarding the earlier incident and said Typhoons were joined by an RAF Voyager from RAF Brize Norton which were also sent to assist.
The two Tu-160s were deployed yesterday by Vladimir Putin over Belarus where a migrant camp is the focus of major international concern.
The West accuses Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko of 'weaponising' asylum-seekers in a 'hybrid war' with the West.
He has allowed them to come to Belarus so they can seek to pour into Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, before seeking entry to Germany and other EU countries plus Britain.
