Russia claims that two maritime patrol aircraft have made a 30-hour Arctic flight, including mid-air tanking near the North Pole. The Navy didn’t provided details or the exact date for the apparent exercise more than saying it happened in 2025. Based at the airport Severomorsk-1 on the Kola Peninsula, the Tu-142MK is the Northern Fleet’s long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The planes are frequently identified by Norwegian F-35 fighter jets when they fly in international airspace over the Barents and Norwegian Seas. When taking off for QRA-missions, Norway’s F-35s are fully armed with an internal cannon, short-range and medium-range air-to-air missiles.

Source: CBC News January 12, 2026 18:53 UTC