U.S. jets intercept Russian spy plane near Alaska for third time in a week

U.S. fighter jets scrambled Sunday to intercept a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance plane flying in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), marking the third such incident in less than a week.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said the Russian aircraft, operating in international airspace but near U.S. and Canadian territory, did not enter sovereign airspace and posed no threat.

Russian flights in the ADIZ occur regularly, with similar encounters reported earlier this year in April, July, and January, as well as a close call in September 2024 when a Russian Su-35 flew dangerously close to NORAD aircraft.

NORAD emphasised that it maintains layered surveillance and rapid response capabilities to safeguard North America.