US fighter jets were deployed to intercept Russian warplanes near Alaska as concerns from NATO allies over Russian intrusions escalate. The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) reported detecting two Russian Tu-95s and two Su-35s within Alaska’s Air Defence Identification Zone but clarified that they did not breach US or Canadian airspace. Nonetheless, all aircraft entering this zone are closely monitored for potential threats.
NORAD stated that nine US aircraft, including an E-3 Sentry command and control plane, four F-16s, and four KC-135 tankers, were scrambled to identify and intercept the Russian jets. This incident follows previous reports of Russian military aircraft detected in the ADIZ, with this being the ninth occurrence this year.
The ADIZ is a designated international airspace region that requires immediate identification of all aircraft for national security purposes, according to NORAD. In response to the Russian aircraft, NORAD mobilized an E-3, four F-16s, and four KC-135 tanker aircraft.
In a separate incident, Danish authorities continue to investigate unidentified drones that disrupted traffic near Copenhagen airport, while Russian drones were shot down after crossing Polish airspace and later breaching Estonia’s airspace.
In a past incident in September 2024, NORAD shared a video showing a Russian jet flying dangerously close to a US aircraft off the coast of Alaska, prompting criticism from a US general for the Russian crew’s reckless behavior.
Despite these incidents, no Russian warplanes have breached US or Canadian sovereign airspace. The recent events come after US President Donald Trump suggested that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft entering their airspace, depending on the circumstances. Trump, following a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, mentioned arranging direct talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, although Putin has shown little interest in such discussions, with Moscow intensifying its attacks on Ukraine in recent days.