Neither the date of the Tu-95 flights nor the countries that deployed monitoring aircraft were specified.

“Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers and missile carriers carried out a scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas,” the ministry said, referring to bodies of water north of Scandinavia and northwest of Russia.

“At certain stages of the route, long-range bombers were escorted by fighter jets of foreign countries,” it added.

The ministry said that such flights regularly take place in many regions and are in accordance with international law.

Earlier this month, South Korea and Japan criticised Russian and Chinese military aircraft flights near their territories, which led them to scramble fighter jets.

According to Tokyo, two Russian Tu-95 bombers flew from the Sea of Japan to rendezvous with two Chinese H-6 bombers in the East China Sea, then conducted a joint flight around the country.