The North American Aerospace Defense Command announced on Tuesday that a Russian military aircraft was tracked inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. However, military officials noted that the Russian military aircraft’s movements were “not seen as a threat” to either the United States or Canada.
In a Tuesday press release, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which is a joint U.S. and Canadian military command, confirmed that it “detected and tracked Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on 22 July 2025.”
According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the Russian aircraft remained in international airspace on Tuesday and did not enter the sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada. Tuesday’s press release noted that Russian activity in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone “occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.”
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While the North American Aerospace Command confirmed that a Russian military aircraft entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, it did not confirm the identity of the Russian military aircraft.
Tuesday’s press release explained that an Air Defense Identification Zone “begins where sovereign airspace ends and is a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security.”
The North American Aerospace Defense Command added, “NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions. NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America.”
Another Russian military aircraft was “detected and tracked” by the North American Aerospace Defense Command in April. At the time of the April incident, the North American Aerospace Defense Command released a statement similar to the statement released by the military command on Tuesday, confirming that the Russian military aircraft’s activity was not viewed as a threat.
