Russia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that Russian warplanes prevented two US strategic bombers from violating the state border over the Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean.
After having detected an air target approaching the Russian borders, the military scrambled MiG-29 and MiG-31 fighter jets, the ministry said in a statement.
The MiGs identified the planes as two American strategic bombers.
"As the Russian fighter jets approached, the American strategic bombers adjusted their flight course... and subsequently turned away from the state border of the Russian Federation," the ministry said.
The Russian warplanes carried out the flight in compliance with international rules on the use of airspace over neutral waters, it added.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of regular hours.
Russia has reported similar incidents before when its planes have confronted military aircraft from NATO countries flying close to its border at a time of acute tension over the war in Ukraine.
Also on Sunday, Russian strikes have left at least five people injured in Ukraine.
The two countries have exchanged drone, missile and shelling attacks.
Along the front line in the east, Russia said it had taken control of two villages, one in the Kharkiv region and one in Luhansk.
Three people were injured by Russian drone strikes in southern Ukraine's partly-occupied Kherson region on Sunday morning, while two people were hurt when a village in Kharkiv was hit by Russian shells.
