Russian aircraft spotted near Alaska

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F-35 fighter escorts a Russian Ilyushin Il-96-300 aircraft, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Associated Press / Sputnik / Kremlin Pool / Photo by Gavriil Grigorov

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, on Sunday said it found a lone Russian surveillance aircraft flying through international airspace near Alaska. The IL-20 COOT plane was capable of gathering electronic intelligence and was previously spotted in the area last week, according to CombatAircraft.com.

NORAD sent out five aircraft—an E-3, two F-16s, and two KC-135 tankers—to intercept and identify the Russian plane. The surveillance plane remained in international airspace. Such Russian activity near Alaska happens regularly and isn’t seen as a threat, according to NORAD.

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