A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress heavy bomber was spotted near the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, in the northwest of Syria, Lenta.ru news agency reported on Sunday.
Hmeimim is Russia’s main base for airstrikes on rebel groups in Syria – strikes that have enabled President Bashar al-Assad’s forces to recover much lost ground. Military base located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria. The airbase shares some airfield facilities with Bassel Al-Assad International Airport.
As Lenta.ru notes, the approach of a U.S. Air Force bomber to the Russian military base was spotted on November 1.
B-52 flew over the southern part of Greece and next to Cyprus – not far from the Syrian province of Latakia, where the base of Hmeimim is located. The exact route of the bomber is unknown, but most likely it was heading along the Syrian border to Jordan.
According to several media reports, a long-range B-52H bomber took off from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England. Also said that a pair of Greek F-16 fighter jets on Friday escorted a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber operating in Syria as they flew over Cyprus.
Additionally, on 19 October, an American B-52 bomber flew near illegally-occupied Crimea. The publication Crimea Realities reported that bomber simulated an attack and conducted a mock strike against military targets in the annexed Crimea.
Early, the Kremlin has already stated that the redeployment of U.S. strategic bombers B-52 to Europe breeds tensions.
“It goes without saying that such actions by the United States by no means strengthen the climate of security and stability in a region adjoining Russia,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media. “On the contrary, this breeds more tensions.”