Agence France-Presse,
Moscow: Fourteen Russian long-range bombers flew over the north Atlantic on Tuesday in the last of a series of military manoeuvres held off Europe's coasts since December, news agencies reported.
“Pilots will work on questions of reconnaissance, launching rocket and bomb strikes on enemy naval formations and taking part in aerial battles and air patrols,” air force spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky was quoted as saying.
The exercises will be carried out over neutral waters “in strict accordance with international rules”, Drobyshevsky said.
A naval group including the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier will also take part in the exercises, RIA Novosti news agency reported.
The exercises are part of a series of naval manoeuvres in the north Atlantic and the Mediterranean announced by Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov in December in a bid to boost Russia's maritime presence and protect shipping.
President Vladimir Putin has made restoring Moscow's military prestige a central priority at a time of political transition. He is due to stand down as president after elections in March.
