Four Russian spy planes fly past Alaska — it’s the third time this month Russian military aircraft have done so

AP Photo/Andrei Pronin

• Russian military aircraft have been flying past Alaska on the regular this month.
• Four Russian maritime reconnaissance aircraft flew past the northern part of the state Friday, North American Aerospace Defense Command announced.
• The incident marks the third time this month Russian military aircraft have flown past Alaska. In two previous incidents, F-22s were dispatched to intercept Russian fighters and bombers.
• Friday’s flights come just one day after Russian bombers approached the British coastline, leading the UK and France to scramble fighters in response.

Russian military aircraft — everything from long-range bombers to advanced fighters to spy planes — have ventured close to Alaska three times this month, twice prompting US F-22 stealth fighters to intercept the aircraft.

Two pairs of unidentified Russian maritime reconnaissance aircraft flew past northern Alaska Friday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced in a statement, noting that while the surveillance aircraft entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, they remained in international airspace.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: Medical breakthroughs we will see in the next 50 years

See Also:

• Putin backs off Russia’s threats against Israel, and calls Syria downing a Russian plane a ‘tragic’ accident
• A Russian dissident who suddenly lost the ability to speak or walk was likely given nerve poison, doctors say
• Russia blames Israel after Syria, an ally, killed 15 by downing a Russian plane in a wild air battle