LONDON, July 18: Royal Air Force fighter jets were scrambled after two Russian bombers were intercepted off the coast of Norway, the defence ministry said on Wednesday, following reports they were heading for British airspace.

Two RAF Tornados from Britain’s rapid reaction force took off from RAF base Leeming in northern England on Tuesday after two Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16s intercepted two Tu95 “Bear” bombers, the ministry said.

A defence ministry spokesman, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity, told AFP: “We did scramble the jets but they did not intercept the Russians.

“As I understand it, the Norwegians actually intercepted the Russian aircraft off their coast. They didn’t come into British airspace.” Britain and Norway are separated by the North Sea.

The spokesman also said there was no connection between the rare incident and Britain’s plans to deport four Russian diplomats because of Moscow’s refusal to extradite a key suspect for the murder of exiled ex-agent Alexander Litvinenko.

Russia has promised a “targeted and appropriate” response to Britain’s decision.

The Times on Tuesday also said there was nothing to suggest a connection with the diplomatic standoff, but it smacked of “old-fashioned sabre-rattling” by Russia and revived “the spirit of the cold war” in the North Atlantic.

Norway, however, said that while it had scrambled two jets, the Russian planes turned back on their own.—AFP