US air control systems detected Russian aircraft in Alaska

"The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat," - the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) statement said.

According to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), four Russian military aircraft were detected and monitored within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday

Alaska Air Defense Identification (ADIZ) covers the airspace surrounding the United States and Canada – in which the ready identification, location, and control of civil aircraft over land or water is required for national security. It's a zone stretching 150 miles from the U.S. coastline, where the U.S. requires aircraft to identify themselves.

According to CBS, in a press release, Russia's defense ministry reported that two Tu-160 strategic missile carriers undertook a long-range training flight over the neutral waters of the Arctic Ocean and the Laptev Sea. This mission lasted more than 10 hours. This could potentially explain the presence of some of the Russian bombers involved in the incident. - The flight was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace (...) Long-range aviation pilots regularly fly over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Black and Baltic Seas, and the Pacific Ocean - said the commander of long-range aviation, Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash, whose words were reported to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Soruce: CBS News, Reuters