The Russian defense ministry said that Norway scrambled warplanes on Wednesday to accompany Russian strategic bombers over the Barents and Norwegian seas, quoted by TASS new agency.

The ministry said that the Russian aircraft had performed a seven-hour flight over neutral waters.

“Norwegian Air Force F-16 fighter jets escorted Russian strategic missile carriers through parts of their route,” it said.

The manoeuvre is standard procedure when Russian planes are in international airspace close to the Norwegian borders, Major Elisabeth Eikeland of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters told Reuters. Russia does the same if the situation is reversed.

After they identified the airplanes on Wednesday morning, the Norwegian airplanes returned to their base in Bodoe, northern Norway, Eikeland said.