40 miles off California coast: Russian bombers congratulate USA on Independence Day


“Good morning, American pilots! We are here to congratulate you on the Day of Independence,” pilots of a Tu-95 strategic bomber welcomed the F-16 that was flying to intercept the Russian aircraft close to California.

The incident happened on July 4 but the U.S. military have made it public just recently. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, two Russian strategic bombers that are able to carry nuclear warheads, were 40 miles (62 kilometers) from the coast of California.

On the same day Tu-95 strategic bombers were spotted near Alaska.

Online newspaper Washington Free Beacon reports that this incident coincided with Barack Obama‘s telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin who called for a more advanced dialogue between the U.S. and Russia.

The Department called such actions ‘rattling sabres’ and stressed that it was not the first time Russia had ‘congratulated’ the United States in such a way. On July 4, 2012 a Russian bomber also drew near the territory of the United States.

The Tu-95 is a turboprop strategic bomber, one of the symbols of the Cold War. It can shell enemy targets with cruise missiles at any time of day and in any weather.

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