Russian fighter jets have flown near US airspace for the ninth time this year, just days after President Donald Trump said he would not hesitate to shoot down Russian aircraft that enter international territory
Russian warplanes were spotted flying around U.S. airspace, prompting American fighter jets to scramble and identify the aircraft. The incident took place just days after President Donald Trump suggested he wouldn’t think twice about shooting down Russian aircraft if they’re operating in international airspace without authorisation.
The incident, which happened on Wednesday, marks the third occasion in roughly a month and the ninth time this year that the North American Aerospace Defense Command has reported Russian aircraft near Alaska.
According to a Thursday statement from NORAD, the organisation spotted two Tu-95s and two Su-35s operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). The detection prompted nine U.S. aircraft to rapidly intercept the Russian jets.
NORAD stated that Russian military activity in the region is routine and not deemed a threat. Nevertheless, the growing frequency of Russian jets appearing in U.S. and NATO nations’ airspace has created bewilderment and heightened tensions amongst many.
Earlier this week, two or three suspected Russian drones caused Copenhagen and Oslo airports to shut down. Whilst authorities stopped short of explicitly identifying suspects as of Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen suggested the Kremlin might be involved in what she described as the “most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.”, reports the Express US.
“I cannot rule out that it is Russia,” Frederiksen told reporters. “We have seen drones over Poland that should not have been there. We have seen activity in Romania. We have seen violations of Estonian airspace,” she added, referencing a series of recent incidents linked to Russia.
On Tuesday, NATO issued a stark warning to Russia that it would deploy every means at its disposal to defend against any further incursions into its airspace, following the downing of Russian drones that had strayed over Poland earlier this month.
“And here we see a clear pattern: Russia is testing the European borders, also probing our resolve and undermining our security throughout,” declared Anitta Hipper, European Commission spokesperson.
Tensions were equally palpable this week during the 80th United Nations General Assembly. During a meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the American leader was questioned about whether NATO nations should target Russian aircraft venturing into international airspace.
“Yes I do,” Trump replied without hesitation.
The direct response appeared to catch Zelensky completely off guard. Whilst he remained silent on the reporter’s inquiry, the Ukrainian president immediately turned towards Trump, his eyes widening in apparent astonishment.
In the past, President Trump has hinted that his administration might offer air support to European troops in Ukraine as part of a postwar agreement, though he refrained from divulging further details.
“These matters will be discussed in our bilateral meeting in New York,” Zelensky informed journalists on Friday. “I want to gauge how close we are to understanding that security guarantees will meet our needs.”
Trump has also expressed a desire to facilitate direct discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky. However, Putin appears disinterested in such talks, while Moscow continues to escalate its assault on Ukraine.
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