United States: Two US fighter jets were sent on Monday to intercept two Russian bombers flying over international airspace off the coast of Alaska, according to US military officials.

The Russian Tu-95 Bear-H bombers were "detected, tracked [and] positively identified" by the North American Aerospace Defense Command as they entered the Alaska Air Defense Identification Area, and the U.S. Air Force's F. -16 fighter jets stopped them.

NORAD, a joint US-Canadian command tasked with protecting those countries' airspace, issued a statement on Tuesday, claiming that the interception ended without incident and was viewed as a threat or military provocation. 

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The top Pentagon spokesman, Air Force Brigadier. General Pat Ryder said the incident was safe and professional and noted that similar interactions often occur on international waters close to Alaska.

Rider did not specify how far the Tu-95 traveled outside US airspace or how long the incident lasted.

According to NORAD, the Russian aircraft never came close to entering US airspace, which is 12 nautical miles from US shores. However, in the interest of national security, the U.S.

Officials expect the plane to enter the Alaska Air Defense Identification Area, a portion of mostly international airspace located 200 nautical miles off the Alaskan coast, to identify itself.

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The command stated that it was prepared to "employ multiple response options in defense of North America and Arctic sovereignty" and that it would use a combination of satellites, ground-based, aerial radar and fighter jets to monitor aircraft within the region. does.

Deviation Since last month, there has been no encounter between American and Russian aircraft in Alaska as of Monday. Off the coast of Alaska on 11 September, NORAD reported tracking two Russian maritime patrol aircraft. In August, it reported three similar incidents.

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Monday's incident comes as strained relations between the United States and Russia over Russia's illegitimate invasion of Ukraine that began in February continue. Since the Russian invasion, the United States has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in weapons and military training. In response to the attack, it also imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow and senior Russian officials.