It is Reuters reporting the Russian news agency TASS. The incident is said to have occurred on Monday when the Russian defense forces discovered the Norwegian Orion plane near the Russian border.
The Orion P-3 is a military surveillance aircraft.
The Operational Headquarters of the Norwegian Armed Forces will not confirm the incident but will inform VG and NTB that there is no drama behind this kind of action.
– We won’t go into the details of our operations, but we are out and about with our maritime surveillance aircraft at regular intervals. Although we are in international airspace, it is common practice for Russian fighters to be sent in to identify our aircraft when we are in their vicinity. Just like we send out our F35 fighters when their planes approach our areas, Lance Corporal Jonny Karlsen tells VG.
He explains to the newspaper that the practice complies with a 1990 agreement between Russia and Norway. The regulations are designed to avoid unwanted accidents.
– This is therefore a completely normal routine. It happens several times a year on both sides, Karlsen says.
According to the Norwegian Armed Forces website, Norwegian fighter aircraft fly about 50 such missions a year.
