The USA practiced bombing strikes near the Russian border.

U.S. B-52H Bomber Trains Near Russian Border With Support From Finnish, Estonian, and NATO Aircraft

Tensions along NATO’s eastern flank remained in focus this week as a U.S. B-52H Stratofortress conducted a series of joint training flights over Finland and Estonia, reaching within roughly 50 kilometers of the Russian border.

According to the Finnish Air Force, the strategic bomber carried out a planned exercise on Wednesday over the Sotinpuro training area in eastern Finland, not far from the Russian frontier. Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighters also took part in the drills.

After completing the Finnish segment of the mission, the B-52H entered Estonian airspace, continuing its training run close to Russia’s western borders. In Estonia, the aircraft was accompanied by a Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon. NATO’s airborne early-warning aircraft, the E-3A Sentry, also participated, conducting an overwatch and airspace-management flight over the region.

The exercise is part of a broader U.S. Air Force deployment to Europe. Washington recently confirmed that a full group of B-52H bombers had arrived at Morón Air Base in Spain. Their mission: to train with Finland, Lithuania, Sweden, and other regional partners on defending NATO’s eastern airspace.

According to reporting cited by Unian, the bombers have been specifically sent to operate in areas where potential threat levels are assessed as elevated — a signal of continued deterrence activity along NATO’s border with Russia.

“According to Unian, a B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber carried out an extended training mission over Finnish territory, operating in airspace situated close to the Russian border. The report was based on an announcement shared by the Finnish Air Force on social media, where the military said the flight was part of routine cooperative exercises and surveillance activities in the region.”