US military slams ‘unsafe’ Russia fighter jet maneuver near Alaska

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military on Monday released video of what it said was an unsafe maneuver by a Russian fighter jet near Alaska during an intercept by the U.S. military last week.

The United States regularly carries out aerial intercepts of Russian aircraft in international airspace near Alaska, and usually says they are carried out in a safe and professional manner. But this time was different, officials say.

“The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all – not what you’d see in a professional air force,” Air Force General Gregory Guillot, who oversees U.S. forces in North America said in a statement posted on X.

Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

North American Aerospace Defense Command, known as NORAD, said on Sept. 23 that it detected and tracked four Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone.

At the time, it said the Russian activity “occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.”

An air defense identification zone is international airspace just beyond a country’s sovereign territory that approaching aircraft to identify themselves.