US F-22 stealth jets intercepted four Russian bombers and two Russian Su-35 fighter jets off the coast of Alaska on Monday, according to a statement from North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The Russian long-range bombers flew into the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends approximately 200 miles off Alaska's western coast.

US F-22s fighter jets and an E-3 Airborne Early Warning and Control System from North American Aerospace Defense Command "positively identified and intercepted a total of four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on May 20," NORAD said in a statement.

"Two of the Russian bombers were intercepted by two F-22s, and a second group of bombers with Su-35 fighters was intercepted later by two additional F-22s, while the E-3 provided overall surveillance," NORAD said, adding that "the Russian bombers and fighters remained in international airspace and at no time did the aircraft enter United States or Canadian sovereign airspace."

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident in a tweet Tuesday, saying the Tu-95 bombers "made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands."

"At certain stages of the route, Russian aircraft were escorted by #F22 fighter jets of the #USAF. The total flight time exceeded 12 hours," the ministry added.

"NORAD's top priority is defending Canada and the United States. Our ability to deter and defeat threats to our citizens, vital infrastructure, and national institutions starts with successfully detecting, tracking, and positively identifying aircraft of interest approaching U.S. and Canadian airspace," Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, the commander of NORAD, said in a statement. </s> US F-22 stealth jets intercepted four Russian bombers and two Russian Su-35 fighter jets off the coast of Alaska on Monday, according to a statement from North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The Russian nuclear capable long-range bombers flew into the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends approximately 200 miles off Alaska's western coast.

The Russian bomber flights are seen by US military officials as part of Moscow's effort to train its military for a potential crisis while simultaneously sending a message of strength to adversaries.

This latest intercept comes amid tensions with Russia on a wide range of geopolitical issues and a week after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Russian Vladimir Putin in the resort town of Sochi where he warned Russia about interfering in US elections, taking a tougher public line than President Donald Trump on the issue.

US F-22s fighter jets and an E-3 Airborne Early Warning and Control System from North American Aerospace Defense Command "positively identified and intercepted a total of four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on May 20," NORAD said in a statement.

"Two of the Russian bombers were intercepted by two F-22s, and a second group of bombers with Su-35 fighters was intercepted later by two additional F-22s, while the E-3 provided overall surveillance," NORAD said, adding that "the Russian bombers and fighters remained in international airspace and at no time did the aircraft enter United States or Canadian sovereign airspace."

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident in a tweet Tuesday, saying the Tu-95 bombers "made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands."

"At certain stages of the route, Russian aircraft were escorted by #F22 fighter jets of the #USAF. The total flight time exceeded 12 hours," the ministry added.

US officials say Russian bombers and jets have flown in the area several times a year for the last few years and have similarly been intercepted by US or Canadian jets operating as part of NORAD.

"NORAD's top priority is defending Canada and the United States. Our ability to deter and defeat threats to our citizens, vital infrastructure, and national institutions starts with successfully detecting, tracking, and positively identifying aircraft of interest approaching U.S. and Canadian airspace," Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, the commander of NORAD, said in a statement.

"Patrols by Russian military aircraft off the coasts of the United States and Canada have grown increasingly complex in recent years," O'Shaughnessy said in written testimony submitted to Congress earlier this month.

He wrote that the bomber patrols were a "highly visible" message intended "to underscore Russia's capabilities" and develop "a new generation of air crews," adding that "NORAD fighter aircraft routinely intercept Russian military aviation missions inside the US and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones, and there is no indication that Russian leadership intends to reduce the number of these missions in the near future."

In January, a US E-3 aircraft, two F-22 fighter jets and two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets similarly "positively identified" two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers entering the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone.

NORAD is tasked with patrolling US and Canadian airspace and air defense identification zones. </s> U.S. military officials say four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted off Alaska's western coast by U.S. aircraft but had not entered U.S. or Canadian air space.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement that its early warning system identified the four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters.

Two pairs of F-22s fighter jets met the Russian aircraft on Monday but further details of the encounter were not provided.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation said on Twitter that the U.S. planes accompanied the Russian aircraft along part of their route.

The agency said the Russian planes made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands. </s> Four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted near the coast of Alaska on Monday by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the organization said in a statement. The Russian planes were entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone when they were intercepted, but they remained in international airspace — never entering American or Canadian airspace, according to NORAD.

"Two of the Russian bombers were intercepted by two F-22s, and a second group of bombers with Su-35 fighters was intercepted later by two additional F-22s," NORAD said.

It said an E-3 "provided overall surveillance."

The interceptions come amid tensions between Russia and the U.S. As CBS News' Emily Tillett reported last week, a press conference by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, revealed a number of areas where the two nations could not reach a consensus following discussions.

Last September, two Alaska-based U.S. fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers over the Arctic Ocean and last May, a pair of Russian bombers were intercepted near the western coast of Alaska. </s> ANCHORAGE, Alaska — U.S. military officials say four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted off Alaska’s western coast by U.S. aircraft but had not entered U.S. or Canadian air space.

The North American Aerospace Defence Command said in a statement that its early warning system identified the four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters.

Two pairs of F-22s fighter jets met the Russian aircraft on Monday but further details of the encounter were not provided.

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said on Twitter that the U.S. planes accompanied the Russian aircraft along part of their route.

The agency said the Russian planes made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands. </s> The North American Aerospace Defence Command said in a statement that its early warning system identified the four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - U.S. military officials say four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted off Alaska’s western coast by U.S. aircraft but had not entered U.S. or Canadian air space.

Two pairs of F-22s fighter jets met the Russian aircraft on Monday but further details of the encounter were not provided.

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said on Twitter that the U.S. planes accompanied the Russian aircraft along part of their route.

The agency said the Russian planes made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands. </s> U.S. fighter jets on Monday intercepted a half-dozen Russian warplanes off the coast of Alaska and kept tabs on the aircraft until they left the region, authorities said Tuesday.

The F-22 fighters intercepted four Russian bombers and two Russian fighter planes entering an area designated as the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone.

“The Russian bombers and fighters remained in international airspace and at no time did the aircraft enter United States or Canadian sovereign airspace,” the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement.

NORAD, headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base near Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a joint U.S. and Canadian effort responsible for protecting North American airspace.

“NORAD’s top priority is defending Canada and the United States. Our ability to deter and defeat threats to our citizens, vital infrastructure and national institutions starts with successfully detecting, tracking and positively identifying aircraft of interest approaching U.S. and Canadian airspace,” said Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, the NORAD commander.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense acknowledged its planes were in the region — on scheduled training exercises.

“Four #Tu95MS strategic missile carriers of the Russian #AerospaceForces made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands,” the Ministry of Defense tweetedon Tuesday morning.

“At certain stages of the route, Russian aircraft were escorted by #F22 fighter jets of the #USAF. The total flight time exceeded 12 hours,” the ministry said. </s> NORAD fighters intercepted Russian bombers+fighters entering Alaskan ADIZ May 20. 2x Tu-95s were intercepted by 2x F-22s; a second group of 2x Tu-95+2x Su-35 was intercepted later by 2 more F-22’s; NORAD E-3 provided overall surveillance. The aircraft remained in int'l airspace pic.twitter.com/VrNuSWFOQm — North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) May 21, 2019

US F-22 stealth jets intercepted Russian bombers and fighter jets off the coast of Alaska on Monday, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.The four Russian bombers and two Russian SU-35 fighter jets flew into the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends nearly 200 miles off the Alaskan coast.NORAD says once the US fighter jets intercepted the Russian planes they provided surveillance.It says the Russian bombers and jets remained in international airspace the entire time. </s> ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - U.S. military officials say four Russian bombers and two fighter jets were intercepted off Alaska's western coast by U.S. aircraft but had not entered U.S. or Canadian air space.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement that its early warning system identified the four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters.

Two pairs of F-22s fighter jets met the Russian aircraft on Monday but further details of the encounter were not provided.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation said on Twitter that the U.S. planes accompanied the Russian aircraft along part of their route.

The agency said the Russian planes made scheduled sorties over the neutral waters of the Chukotka, Bering and Okhotsk seas, as well as along the western coast of Alaska and the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands.
U.S. F-22 stealth jets intercept four Russian Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bombers and two Russian Su-35 jets entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone off the coast of Alaska. The Russian jets and bombers did not enter the U.S. nor Canadian airspace according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.