July 31: In yet another incident reminiscent of the Cold War, Canada on Friday revealed that two Russian bombers were intercepted trying to enter its airspace. Defence officials in Ottawa said that two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets had confrontation with two Russian TU-95 Bears when they flew into their “area of interest” off the coast of Newfoundland on Wednesday.
The officials said the North American Aerospace Defence Command — which is jointly manned by the Americans and Canadians — spotted the Russian fighters and despatched two Canadian fighters to intercept them.
But the Russia embassy in Ottawa denied any intrusion, saying that these planes were on an exercise mission and never entered Canadian airspace. This is the second airspace “showdown’’ between Canada and Russia since February 2009 when Russian bombers tried to enter over the Arctic region.