4 Russian fighter jets are intercepted and diverted by the US near Alaska.

Four Russian aircraft flew close to Alaska when the United States Air Force scrambled fighter jets to intercept and divert them. In a statement shared on Twitter on Tuesday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command stated that the incident occurred on February 13 and involved “detected, tracked, positively identified” Russian aircraft. The agency added that these included SU-35 fighter jets and TU-95 BEAR-H bombers. The aircraft remained in international airspace even though they were flying within the Alaska Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

According to the statement, “NORAD had anticipated this Russian activity and, as a result of our planning, was prepared to intercept it.”

“Russian planes stayed outside of national airspace and did not fly over either American or Canadian territory. Russian activity in the North American ADIZ is routine and is neither perceived as provocative nor posing a threat ” it added.

Since 2007, the US has reportedly intercepted Russian aircraft six to seven times annually in the North American ADIZ, according to Fox News.

Further explaining, the source claimed that in September, two Russian maritime patrol aircraft were discovered and tracked off the coasts of Alaska and Canada, while a Russian surveillance aircraft flew into the Alaska ADIZ in August.

Earlier on Monday, three Russian military aircraft were in formation over Poland when two Dutch F-35 fighters intercepted them and escorted them out.