Chinese, Russian bombers intercepted near Alaska

The North American Aerospace Defense Command reported on Wednesday that two bombers from each country flew near Alaska while remaining in international airspace. U.S. and Canadian fighter jets scrambled to intercept the four bombers. The Russian and Chinese bombers remained in international airspace, according to NORAD. But the bombers entered a zone that required them to identify themselves to authorities in North America. Their activities did not constitute a threat, according to NORAD.

What did Russia have to say? Russian state media outlet TASS published a story on Wednesday repeating NORAD’s report about the planes. The article did not cite Russian authorities responding to NORAD’s report.

What is NORAD? It is a U.S.-Canadian military organization protecting the air and maritime sovereignty of both countries. The organization aims to observe activity in the air and waters around North America and respond to any attacks that come from those sectors.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about Japan conducting joint exercises with Seychelles following joint Russian-Chinese military drills in the Pacific.