Russia recently deployed a fleet of Tu-95MS, Su-30, and Su-35S aircraft in the airspace near Alaska, prompting the US Air Force to dispatch F-16s to monitor the situation. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that two Tu-95MS strategic bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a planned flight over international airspace in the Bering Sea, near the west coast of Alaska. The flight, escorted by fighter jets Su-30SM, 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 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 the Russian 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, the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) reported the presence of four Russian military aircraft in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), noting that the aircraft 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 the state. The US has consistently responded by sending fighter jets to monitor the situation. Despite these actions, there have been no instances of Russian aircraft violating US airspace, with both sides conducting their operations in a professional and safe manner.