On the night between February 19 and 20, according to local time, American fighter jets took off to intercept Russian military aircraft operating near the coast of Alaska.
The information was confirmed by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
According to the joint command of the United States and Canada, two Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers, two Su-35 fighter jets and an A-50 early warning aircraft were detected while flying in the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) of Alaska.
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interception and escort
NORAD said that two F-16s, two F-35s and four KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft were launched to track and monitor the Russian planes.
American fighter jets intercepted Russian bombers near Alaska
Source and images: North American Aerospace Defense Command, X @NORADCommand pic.twitter.com/OEFix6iB5q
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According to the official announcement, the Russian planes did not violate the sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada. The activity was defined as a “routine incident” in the region and was not considered an immediate threat to national security.
Alaska’s ADIZ is a strip of international airspace that begins beyond the sovereign territory of the United States and Canada. In this area, early detection of aircraft is required as a preventive measure of protection.
The Russian version: a planned tour
On the Russian side, the Ministry of Defense said that long-range aviation Tu-95MS strategic bombers carried out a planned reconnaissance mission that lasted more than 14 hours over neutral waters in the Bering Sea, between the Russian Far East and Alaska.
The planes, capable of carrying missiles with nuclear warheads, were accompanied by Su-35S and Su-30SM multi-mission fighter jets. According to Moscow, in some parts of the flight they were escorted by foreign fighter jets.
A video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense shows the takeoff of one of the Tu-95MS bombers, interior and exterior shots from the cockpit during the tour, as well as the air refueling and landing.
Russia claims that its long-range patrols conduct routine patrols over international waters in the Arctic, the North Atlantic, the Pacific, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, while complying with the international rules for the use of airspace.
The role of NORAD
The North American Air and Space Defense Command was established in 1957 through bilateral agreements between the United States and Canada and is responsible for the air defense of the North American continent.
The command integrates the Air Defense Command of the United States Air Force, the Canadian Air Force, naval forces associated with the CONAD/NORAD system and the United States Army Air Defense Command.
The main headquarters is located at Air Force Base Peterson in Colorado, while the permanent command center operates from a fortified bunker built inside Cheyney Mountain.
The incident underscores the routine nature of intercepts in the Arctic and North Pacific — areas considered strategic by both Washington and Moscow, especially amid ongoing geopolitical tensions between the two superpowers.
Source and photos: North American Aerospace Defense Command, X @NORADCommand | Telegram @mod_russia. The content is created with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.
