Russia's decision to send long-range strategic bombers on regular patrol missions across the Gulf of Mexico is unprecedented, a senior U.S. military official said Wednesday, claiming that the country has never done so before - even during the Cold War, reports GHN based on Fox News.
The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the flights publicly, also said that the pace of Russian flights around North America, including the Arctic, have largely remained steady, with about five incidents per year.
Long-range bombers have been in the area before, but only to participate in various visits to the region when the aircraft stopped over night at locations in South or Central America. During the Cold War, other types of Russian aircraft flew patrols there, including surveillance flights and anti-submarine aircraft.
Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, declined to call this a Russian provocation.
"The Russians have patrolled in the Gulf [of Mexico] in the past and we've seen the Russian Navy operate in the Gulf of Mexico," he said Wednesday. "These are international waters. It's important that the Russians conduct their operations safely and in accordance with international standards."
The announcement by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu - who also stated that the patrols would occur elsewhere around the globe -- came as NATO's chief accused Russia of sending fresh troops and tanks into eastern Ukraine.