RAF jets monitor Russian bombers

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The two strategic Tu-160 bombers were escorted by British and Norwegian fighters as they headed south for the Bay of Biscay where the Russian Navy is currently conducting a major exercise.

An MoD spokesman said it was a "routine" response by the RAF fighters to the presence of the Russian aircraft.

"When military aircraft are around, we monitor them," the spokesman said.

The latest incident follows the resumption last summer of long-range bomber patrols by the Russians, which has seen RAF fighters scrambled on a number of occasions.

The flights have been seen as indication of the current tensions between Russia and the West, particularly Britain.

Last week, the Government was forced to close the offices of the British Council cultural organisation in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg following what was described as a "campaign of intimidation" against staff by the Russian authorities.

The incident was the latest flare-up in the long-running row over Britain's demand for the extradition of ex KGB officer Andrei Lugovoy, who is wanted for the murder in London of his fellow ex-KGB officer, Alexander Litvinenko.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband branded the Russian action "reprehensible", saying it was reminiscent of the days of the Cold War.