NORAD scrambles fighter jets to identify, intercept four Russian warplanes near Alaska

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said Thursday that it had scrambled fighter jets to identify and intercept four Russian warplanes near Alaska.

NORAD said that on Wednesday, two Russian Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers and two Su-35 fighter jets were flying in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), international airspace next to U.S. and Canadian sovereign airspace, CBS News reported.

In response, NORAD said it sent an E-3 early warning and control aircraft, four F-16s, and four KC-135 tanker planes, "to positively identify and intercept" the Russian aircraft.

"The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace," NORAD said. "This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat."

NORAD added that the ADIZ is airspace that "requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security."

The Russian warplane activity comes as Russian drones were shot down by Polish and allied NATO warplanes earlier this month after crossing into Polish airspace. On Friday, Estonia said several Russian fighter jets entered its airspace.