Two B-52H Stratofortresses from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana fly in formation with fighter jets from Romania and Finland as they arrive at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania on July 21, 2024. Earlier in the day, the B-52s were intercepted by two Russian aircraft over the Barents Sea. (Seth Watson/U.S. Air Force)

STUTTGART, Germany — Two U.S. Air Force long-range bombers that had a close encounter with Russian fighters over the Barents Sea over the weekend landed at an allied base near the Black Sea hours later, the service said.

The arrival of B-52H Stratofortress bombers at Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base on Sunday marks the first time U.S. strategic bombers have operated from the installation, the U.S. Air Force Europe and Africa said the same day.

The base, known as MK to the troops stationed there, serves as the main operational hub for the U.S. military in the Black Sea region. It is undergoing a multibillion-dollar expansion by NATO that will make it even larger than Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Earlier in the day, the bombers were intercepted by Russian fighters over the Barents Sea more than 1,000 miles away in a pre-planned mission that required coordination with NATO fighters, USAFE-AF said.

“The U.S. aircraft did not alter course due to the intercept and continued on its planned flight path without incident,” USAFE said.

The B-52s, assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, are in Europe as part of the Air Force’s ongoing bomber missions, which consist of short-term deployments to the continent.

“Through collaborative efforts with our allies, the United States enables our forces to combat current and future threats,” USAFE-AF Commander Gen. James Hecker said in a statement.

In Europe, encounters between allied and Russian aircraft are relatively commonplace. In most cases, interceptions occur over international airspace without incident.

However, allies have sometimes accused Russia of invading their borders. airspace. In June, Finland said four Russian military planes entered its airspace for several minutes.

Other air battles have also created a risk of escalation between Russia and the US military. In March 2023, for example, a Russian fighter jet collided with an American drone over the Black Sea, causing the unmanned aircraft to crash in international waters.