U.S. warplanes intercepted four Russian aircraft operating near Alaska, the Department of Defense announced Feb. 14. But the U.S. stressed the Russian mission was not unsafe or provocative and the aircraft did not pose a threat.
Some of the most telling information about the Chinese spy balloon was gathered from U-2 flights over the continental U.S.
A pair of U.S. Air Force F-16s intercepted two Russian bombers flying near Alaska on Oct. 17, NORAD announced—though the bombers never actually entered U.S. or Canadian airspace and officials said they did not see the Russian jets as a threat or provocation. The Tu-95 ...