Two U.S. fighter jets reportedly intercepted Russian strategic bombers flying over the Arctic Ocean near the coast of Alaska, U.S. media reported on Thursday.
Airspace interactions between Russia and NATO members have increased in frequency, while tensions between the powers have also been on the rise, military think-tanks have warned.
Russian warplanes carried out planned flights over neutral waters in the Arctic Ocean, along with the Bering and Okhotsk seas, the Russian Defense Ministry was quoted as saying on Friday.
The U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said two Russian nuclear-capable Tu-95s were intercepted flying south of the Aleutian Islands in the Northern Pacific Ocean.
“Two U.S. Air Force F-22 fighters accompanied the Russian military aircraft in different stages of the route,” the Russian ministry said, according to Interfax.
"At no time did the Russian bombers enter Canadian or United States sovereign airspace,” The Washington Free Beacon publication reported NORAD saying.
The last time Russian strategic bombers made the 17-hour flights over the Arctic Ocean, and the Bering and Okhotsk seas was in May.
Two U.S. Air Force F-22s escorted the aircraft for 40 minutes, the Russian Defense Ministry said at the time.
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.
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