Norway scrambled fighter jets to escort two Russian TU-160 bombers over the Barents and Norwegian seas, the Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday, according to local news agencies.

They said the two bombers had completed an eight-hour patrol over the Arctic seas.

At certain stages of the route, Russian strategic missile-carriers were followed by F-16 fighter jets of Norwegian air force, Russia’s defence ministry was quoted as saying by Interfax agency.

At certain stages of their flight route, "the long-range aircraft were shadowed by F-16 fighters of the Norwegian Air Force, the statement reads.

Long-range aviation pilots regularly perform flights over the neutral waters of the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Black and Baltic Seas and the Pacific Ocean in strict compliance with the international rules of using the airspace,  Russia’s Defense Ministry stressed.