According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, two Air Force warplanes intercepted Russian bombers that were flying in international airspace close to Alaska.

NORAD claimed it “detected and tracked, positively identified, and intercepted” two Russian Tu-95 Bear-H Bombers “entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, (ADIZ). Two F-16 fighter jets intercepted them.

NORAD stated in a statement that “the recent Russian activity in North American ADIZ are not seen as a threat or as provocative.”

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, air defense identification zones are areas where the identification, location, and control of all aircrafts is necessary in order to protect national security.

NORAD stated that NORAD tracks and positively identifys foreign military aircraft entering the ADIZ. “NORAD routinely monitors the movements of foreign aircraft and, if necessary, escorts these aircraft from the ADIZ.”

NORAD reported last month that it had tracked and detected two Russian maritime patrol aircraft operating in the Canadian and Alaskan air defense identification zones.

This incident occurs at a difficult time in American-Russian relations. The U.S. actively supported Ukraine in its war against Russia with military and humanitarian aid. In addition, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Moscow and Russian oligarchs.