Russia says British jets escorted its nuclear-capable bombers

British fighter jets escorted two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 nuclear-capable bombers on stretches of an hours-long patrol, Russia's Defence Ministry was quoted as saying by Interfax.

"Two Tu-160 long-range strategic missile carriers performed a scheduled flight in the airspace above the neutral waters of the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas," the ministry was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency on Saturday.

"The Russian strategic missile carriers were accompanied by Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets of the British Air Force at some stages of the route," it added.