Russian bombers cut off before Obama visit

OTTAWA, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Canadian warplanes intercepted two approaching Russian bombers hours before U.S. President Barack Obama's Ottawa visit, Canadian and U.S. officials said Friday.

Two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets, part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, scrambled from Cold Lake, Alberta, and turned away two Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bombers less than 24 hours before Obama's Feb. 19 visit with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the officials said.

Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay said earlier Friday that only one Russian bomber was involved in the incident.

The Norad fighter jets "met a Russian aircraft that was approaching Canadian airspace," MacKay said at a morning news conference. "They sent very clear signals that the Russian aircraft was to turn around -- turn tail -- to its own airspace, which it did."

MacKay said he didn't know if the near-incursion was a deliberate provocation or an accident.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said later Ottawa had a "deep concern" about "increasingly aggressive Russian actions around the globe and Russian intrusions into our airspace."

"This government has responded every time the Russians have done that," he said at a Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, news conference. "We will continue to respond -- we will defend our airspace."

A Russian air force official confirmed the incident, but identified the warplanes as supersonic Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack bombers.

"The Tupolev-160 fulfilled all its air patrol tasks. It was a planned flight," Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik told the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency.

Drik said the Russian crew followed international air protocols and did not violate Canadian airspace.

The White House had no immediate comment.