Russia says bomber flights are legal

MOSCOW, April 23 (UPI) -- Russian Air Force commanders insist their resumed strategic bomber patrols over the North Atlantic Ocean comply with international law.

Nuclear-capable Tu-95 "Bear" bombers have been flying over international waters since late last summer and routinely draw the attention of NATO warplanes.

"All Russian Air Force flights are performed ... in strict accordance with international rules on the use of airspace over neutral waters without violating the borders of other states," Air Force spokesman Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky told the RIA Novosti news service Wednesday.

The strategic bomber flights had been routine during the Cold War. They were suspended after the breakup of the Soviet Union but resumed in August under the orders of President Vladimir Putin.

Drobyshevsky said the training flights sharpen the crews' skills at flying over unmarked territory in the northern latitudes.