US fighter jets were dispatched to intercept Russian warplanes near Alaska as concerns among NATO allies about Russian airspace violations escalate. The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) reported detecting two Russian Tu-95s and two Su-35s operating within Alaska’s Air Defence Identification Zone without breaching US or Canadian sovereign airspace. NORAD deployed nine US aircraft, including an E-3 Sentry command and control aircraft, four F-16s, and four KC-135 tankers, to identify and intercept the Russian jets.
Earlier in August, NORAD had intercepted Russian military aircraft within the ADIZ, marking the ninth such incident this year. NORAD emphasized the importance of the ADIZ in ensuring national security by monitoring all aircraft in the area. Concurrently, Danish officials investigated drones near Copenhagen airport, and Russian drones were downed after crossing Polish airspace and entering Estonia’s airspace.
In a past incident in September 2024, NORAD released footage of a Russian jet flying dangerously close to their aircraft off the coast of Alaska, prompting criticism of the Russian crew’s behavior. Despite these incidents, Russian warplanes have not breached US or Canadian sovereign airspace.
The recent events follow President Donald Trump’s statement advocating for NATO countries to shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace. Trump’s comments came after a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where he sought to facilitate direct talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, Putin has not expressed interest in meeting Zelensky, and Moscow has intensified attacks on Ukraine in recent days.