Fighter jets from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) were scrambled on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, to intercept four Russian military aircraft detected off the coast of Alaska. The incident, confirmed by NORAD and widely reported by outlets such as CBS News and The Independent, is the latest in a series of tense encounters between Russian and Western military forces that have kept defense officials on high alert throughout the year.
The Russian formation, consisting of two Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighter jets, was detected within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ)—a stretch of international airspace that borders U.S. and Canadian territory and is closely monitored for national security purposes. According to NORAD, the Russian planes did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace at any point during the encounter. Instead, they remained in international skies, but their presence was enough to prompt a robust response from the U.S. and Canadian defense partnership.
NORAD responded swiftly, dispatching an E-3 early warning aircraft, four F-16 fighter jets, and four KC-135 refueling tankers to identify and monitor the Russian planes. As CBS News noted, such flights are not considered an immediate threat but are regarded as regular tests of U.S. and NATO readiness. In fact, this marks the third time in about a month—and the ninth time in 2025—that NORAD has reported Russian military aircraft flying near Alaska.
"NORAD emphasized that such flights are common and not considered an immediate threat but often test US and NATO readiness," CBS News reported. The ADIZ, which requires the identification of all aircraft for security reasons, is designed to provide early warning and allow for timely responses to potential incursions.
Yet, while NORAD officials have sought to downplay the risk posed by these particular flights, the broader context is far more tense. The incident occurred against a backdrop of mounting anxiety in Europe over a spate of Russian airspace violations. In just the past two weeks, Russian drones and aircraft have made several incursions into NATO airspace, including a 12-minute violation of Estonian airspace by three MiG-31 jets and the reported breach of Polish airspace by 19 Russian drones earlier in September.
These repeated provocations have not gone unnoticed by Western leaders. On Tuesday, September 23, U.S. President Donald Trump called for NATO countries to take a firmer stance, urging allies to shoot down Russian planes that violate their airspace if necessary. "NATO countries should shoot down Russian planes entering their airspace if other options have been exhausted and it is deemed necessary," Trump declared, a view that was publicly backed two days later by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Rutte added, "Our military have trained and prepared for this. We know how to do this."
Both Poland and Estonia have responded to the recent airspace violations by invoking Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which calls for formal consultations among alliance members when the security of any member is threatened. According to The Independent, NATO jets were scrambled from Lithuania after Russian jets flew near Latvian airspace, and Hungarian fighter jets intercepted a five-aircraft Russian formation over the Baltic Sea. The NATO Allied Air Command noted, "The fighter jets were flying close to NATO airspace, not complying with international flight safety regulations."
The situation is not confined to the skies above Alaska and the Baltics. Large, unidentified drones have been spotted over Sweden’s archipelago, closely resembling those seen during recent sightings in Denmark. Swedish authorities have filed reports of violations of the Aviation Act, though the armed forces have not yet been involved in the investigation. Denmark and Sweden have both refused to rule out Russian involvement, reflecting the growing sense of unease about Moscow's intentions in the region.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is keenly aware of the risks associated with these close encounters. In September 2024, NORAD released footage showing a Russian jet flying within just a few feet of a U.S. aircraft near the Alaskan coast. A U.S. general described the Russian crew’s actions as “unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all,” underscoring the dangers inherent in these high-stakes aerial cat-and-mouse games.
European allies are also tightening their posture. Sweden’s Minister of Defense, Pål Jonson, recently announced that Swedish forces will engage and shoot down Russian aircraft if they cross into the country’s airspace. This hardening of rhetoric and policy is mirrored elsewhere. Poland reported shooting down Russian drones after the recent violations, and both Poland and Estonia have taken the extraordinary step of invoking Article 4.
The broader geopolitical context is fraught with uncertainty. The war in Ukraine continues to rage, with Russian forces launching large-scale drone attacks and artillery strikes against Ukrainian cities such as Kherson. Belarus, a close ally of Moscow, has offered to supply energy to Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine, and tensions remain high along the Polish-Belarusian border, where Poland has reopened crossings but urged its citizens to leave Belarus immediately due to ongoing military activity.
Amid these developments, the United States and its NATO allies are grappling with how best to deter further Russian aggression without escalating the situation into direct conflict. The invocation of Article 4 and the willingness of leaders like Trump and Rutte to endorse the use of force against Russian aircraft reflect a new, more assertive phase in the alliance’s approach to Moscow’s provocations. Yet, as history has shown, the line between deterrence and escalation can be perilously thin.
For now, NORAD and its European counterparts remain vigilant, monitoring the skies and preparing for whatever comes next. The repeated Russian flights near Alaska and into NATO airspace may be routine in one sense, but they serve as a stark reminder of the persistent and evolving threat posed by Moscow’s military ambitions. With each new incident, the risk of miscalculation grows, and the stakes for global security rise accordingly.
As the world watches these high-altitude maneuvers unfold, the question remains: how far will Russia go, and how will the West respond? For the moment, both sides appear locked in a dangerous dance—one that shows no sign of ending soon.