MOSCOW, June 10 (Xinhua) -- A Russian military officer said on Tuesday that two Russian strategic bombers have successfully patrolled over the Arctic Ocean in a 20-hour flight.

    "Two strategic bombers have made a successful flight in accordance with a plan of patrolling Arctic remote territories from air," Itar-Tass news agency cited Russian Air Force spokesman Vladimir Drik as saying.

    During the flight, the bombers have been accompanied by NATO aircraft, said the spokesman.

    The Tu-95 bombers have also practiced refueling in the air, he said, adding that all flights were carried out in accordance with international norms of the use of air space above neutral waters and without violating the borders of other countries.

    Russia resumed strategic bombers patrol over world oceans last August in a bid to flex its military muscle, 15 years after the long-range maneuvers were paused since the collapse of the Soviet Union.