NORAD tracks Russian bombers near Alaska in international airspace

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said Wednesday that it detected Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, identifying two Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters in international airspace near Alaska. NORAD said the aircraft did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace, and the activity was not considered a threat.

The Alaska ADIZ begins at the boundary where national airspace ends, and NORAD emphasized that such activity in the zone is routine. The command said the Russian flight was detected and tracked as it traversed the area, with monitoring by air-defense assets in the region.

The statement from NORAD underscored that the Alaskan ADIZ is monitored continuously by U.S. and allied forces, and that Russian activity in the zone is a regular occurrence rather than an indicator of immediate danger. The release did not indicate any interceptions or other enforcement actions, which NORAD has described in similar past episodes as routine tracking and identification of foreign military aircraft in the approach to North American airspace.

Observers note that these flights are part of ongoing patrols and surveillance patterns along North America’s air approaches. While the activity is monitored and contained within international airspace, it reinforces the need for vigilance in the region and the role of ADIZ boundaries in coordinating air defense across the United States and Canada.

Officials cautioned that the incident remains a developing story, and additional updates will be provided as new information becomes available.