In recent days, Russia has deployed a fleet of Tu-95MS, Su-30, and Su-35S aircraft in the airspace near Alaska. The US Air Force responded by sending F-16s to monitor the situation. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, two Tu-95MS strategic bombers from the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a planned flight over international airspace in the Bering Sea, near the west coast of Alaska. The flight was escorted by fighter jets Su-30SM and lasted more than 11 hours.
Images released by the Russian military showed the Tu-95MS squadron departing from their base at dawn, with an F-16 fighter of the US Air Force’s 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron closely following the bombers as they operated near Alaska. Additionally, Russian heavy fighters Su-30SM and Su-35S monitored the rear of the squadron.
The Russian Defense Ministry emphasized that its Strategic Air Force regularly operates in international airspace in various regions, including the Arctic, North Atlantic, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and Pacific Ocean. These flights strictly adhere to international regulations on the use of airspace. Meanwhile, NORAD reported that four Russian military aircraft were present in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), noting that they were not violating US airspace.
Since 2007, Russian military aircraft have been routinely entering the Alaska ADIZ, which extends about 200 nautical miles off the west coast of
