Russian Tu-95 and Su-35 Planes Tracked Near Alaska, NORAD Responds

NORAD scrambled fighter jets to intercept four Russian military aircraft off the coast of Alaska to identify them in the air defense zone.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Reuters.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) launched fighter jets on Wednesday to identify and intercept four Russian military aircraft off the coast of Alaska. Two Tu-95s and two Su-35s were detected and tracked operating in Alaska's air defense identification zone.

In response, NORAD mobilized one E-3 aircraft, four F-16s, and four KC-135 refueling aircraft. According to the command, the Russian aircraft were in international airspace and did not enter the sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada.

The Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone is a special area of international airspace where all aircraft are subject to rapid identification to ensure national security.

Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that shooting down Russian fighter jets entering NATO airspace is “on the table” after warnings, emphasizing the need to defend every inch of territory. 

Her remarks follow U.S. President Trump’s support for NATO countries taking similar action, amid recent violations of airspace by Russian drones and fighter planes in European countries.

“I mean, that’s a hybrid war that we experienced since many, many years that Russia is leading against the democracies of the European Union and others. And therefore we fight back on all the different fields,” the EU chief said on Wednesday. 

As The Gaze reported earlier, NATO condemned Russia's recent violation of Estonian airspace and promised to use all necessary military and non-military means to protect its allies and fulfill its obligations under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.