Moscow, Oct 20 (TIWN) Russian fighter jets on Wednesday escorted two US strategic bombers over the neutral waters of the Black Sea, said the Russian Defence Ministry.

The supersonic U.S. Cold war-era planes were originally designed to carry nuclear bombs and missiles but now carry conventional payloads.

"Russian fighter crews identified the aerial targets as two U.S. Air Force supersonic strategic B-1B bombers, accompanied by two KC-135 refuelling planes, and escorted them over the waters of the Black Sea," the defence ministry said in a statement accompanied by video footage of the U.S. aircraft in flight.

"After the foreign warplanes had been turned away from Russia's state border, the Russian fighters safely returned to their home air base."

It said the Russian aircraft had carried out their flight in strict compliance with international airspace rules and that Russia's borders had not been breached.

Visiting Ukraine on Tuesday, Lloyd Austin, the U.S. defense secretary, said that Russia was an obstacle to peace in eastern Ukraine and called on Moscow to end destabilising activities in the Black Sea and along Ukraine's borders.