Originally Posted by commonsense

I have a suspicious assumption these bomber missions
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/...r-Missions.php
have something to do with US missile defense:

As a result of American missile silo/housings of missile defense shields in the Ukraine, Russia threatened to aim nuclear missiles at Ukraine.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_w...es_at_ukr.html

Perhaps Russia is out-teched, and responds in an aggressive approach opposite of the US high-tech defensive approach.