London, April 25 (RHC)-- British, Dutch and Danish warplanes have scrambled to intercept a pair of Russian bombers approaching airspace of NATO member states over the North Sea. The UK sent jets from RAF Leuchars in Scotland to “determine the identity of unknown aircraft,” according to a spokesman for the UK Ministry of Defense, subsequently identifying them as "Russian military aircraft."

The Netherlands sent two F-16s from Volkel air base to intercept two Russian TU-95 Bears. Anders Fridberg, spokesman for the Danish Defense Command, said: “We just followed them and just turned back when we reached Germany.”

Focus has been sharpened on Russia due to tensions in Ukraine, which escalated since Crimea’s March reunification with Russia. The development comes as U.S. Army paratroopers reportedly arrived in Poland to conduct military exercises amid escalation of Washington-Moscow tensions over Ukraine.

The U.S. Air Force said recently that it plans to deploy 18 warplanes, already based in Europe, to Poland for joint maritime exercises at Lask Air Base in the Black Sea.