The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has scrambled nine US fighter jets to intercept five Russian warplanes detected off the coast of Alaska. The aircraft, identified as two Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers, two Su-35 fighter planes, and one A-50 spy plane, were spotted entering Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Thursday.
NORAD responded by launching two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3 early warning aircraft, and four KC-135 tanker planes to positively identify the Russian aircraft and escort them out of the zone. The command stated that the Russian activity is a regular occurrence and not considered a threat, noting that the planes did not enter US or Canadian airspace.
Alaska’s ADIZ is a defined stretch of international airspace requiring ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security. Similar incidents occurred last September, when two Tu-95s and two Su-35s were intercepted, and in August 2024, when a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft was spotted four times in one week.
Relations between Washington and Moscow remain tense as President Donald Trump seeks a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed openness to a solution but demands territorial concessions, which Ukraine has refused. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Putin’s claims to disputed regions as “historical s***.”
