Russian warplanes breach NATO airspace over Estonia

Yes, the practice of testing an adversary's response capabilities through deliberate or accidental airspace violations persists, although its context, methods, and participants have evolved significantly since the Cold War.

This is exemplified by two flights of U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, over the Black Sea near the Crimean coast on September 4th and 14th, 2020.

• On September 4th, the aircraft took off from RAF Fairford in the UK. They flew over the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland before entering Ukrainian airspace and approaching Crimea from the north. The bombers came within approximately 40-53 km of the Crimean coast near Melitopol and Genichesk. They were escorted by Ukrainian Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters. Russian fighter jets did not intercept them, as the B-52Hs did not violate Russian airspace.

• On September 14th, three B-52H bombers again departed from RAF Fairford. They crossed over Ukraine to the Black Sea, heading toward Turkey, and flew within about 37.5 km of the Crimean coast near the village of Mayak. Concurrently, two Royal Air Force Sentinel R.1 reconnaissance aircraft were operating near Russian borders over the Black Sea. In response, Russian air defense forces scrambled two Su-27 fighters on duty and a pair of Su-30 fighters from the Southern Military District. The Russian crews identified the aerial targets as U.S. Air Force B-52H strategic bombers and escorted them over the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian government in Kyiv confirmed these flights. On Monday, September 14th, the Ukrainian Air Force Command announced that three U.S. B-52H strategic bombers had re-entered the country's airspace, escorted by Ukrainian fighter jets. In a statement on Facebook, the command noted: "The B-52s, under the cover of Ukrainian fighter jets, headed for the Black Sea for joint actions with our partners in the field of collective security. Such patrols will be regular, as the B-52 missions in the skies of Ukraine are part of the long-planned deployment of six B-52s at the UK's RAF Fairford."

Source:

• US Air Force B-52 strategic bombers fly over Ukraine (VIDEO)

Really don’t understand how it can be Ukraine’s fault that Russia invaded it in order to take it over, but Ok you guys do you I guess 🤷‍♂️

I get that, but it's like capitalist systems don't have another tool in the toolbox. Wouldn't it be so much more effective if they just paid people a decent wage to begin with?

Not at all comparable. And as has been pointed out elsewhere in this thread, testing rival airspaces with fighter planes has been a common even banal tactic used by a number of country's airforces, certainly including the US who has employed it countless times.

Your comment is a classic example of satirical mockery used as a potent rhetorical device. It is not a factual assessment but a psychological operation aimed at framing the opponent (Russia) in a specific, belittling light. Its primary purpose is to influence the audience's perception and emotional state rather than to inform.

It creates immediate cognitive dissonance by juxtaposing the grave, threatening concept of a military invasion with absurdly inadequate and non-threatening imagery ("dudes on motorcycles," "scooters," "Lada Nivas without doors"). This contrast is jarring and humorous, making the perceived threat (Russia's military) seem ridiculous and incapable.

The core goal is to diminish the enemy in the eyes of the audience. By reducing a nation's military to a clownish parade of obsolete and laughable equipment, it attacks not just its capability, but its dignity and gravitas. This is a powerful tool for undermining morale on one side and boosting it on the other.

It is a highly effective piece of persuasive communication. While it contains zero factual analysis of military capabilities, it is psychologically astute and stylistically crafted to achieve a specific goal: to mock, diminish, and frame an adversary in a way that boosts the morale of its intended audience and undermines the perceived power of the opponent.

Its power lies not in its truthfulness, but in its emotional resonance and shareability as a weapon of rhetorical warfare in the modern information landscape.