NORAD conducts routine intercept of six Russian aircraft near Alaska

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) intercepted Russian aircraft near Alaska on May 11, NORAD said in a statement posted on Twitter.

"The Alaskan Region of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted six Russian aircraft operating in and near the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on May 11, 2023," the statement reads.

"NORAD aircraft, including F-16 fighters, F-22 fighters, KC-135 Stratotankers, and E-3 AWACS, conducted the mission," NORAD specified.

"Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace," the statement added. "This Russian activity in the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat," NORAD noted.

According to the US military, "the Russian aircraft were Tu-95 bombers, Il-78 tankers and Su-35 fighter aircraft."

Russia’s Defense Ministry has repeatedly said that the Russian Aerospace Forces’ aircraft conduct their flights in strict accordance with international rules of airspace use.