Russian fighter jets have been spotted off the coast of Alaska, in what US military officials say is another worrying escalation in tensions between the two countries, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said on Tuesday.
According to the official statement, the Russian aircraft did not enter the sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada, but were seen flying within the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), an area located beyond sovereign airspace boundaries, but where entering aircraft are expected to be identified.
Authorities have not provided details about the number of aircraft, their type or the purpose of the operation. However, NORAD emphasizes that the aircraft were monitored and the situation was not considered a direct threat.
The incident comes just two months after another similar incident, when Russian military aircraft, including bombers and fighter jets, approached the same area, forcing US aircraft to intervene and closely follow them. Two days later, Russia again sent aircraft to the same area in another show of force.
In another tense episode in September, a Russian plane came dangerously close to a US fighter jet, narrowly avoiding a collision at the last seconds. (A2 Televizion)
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