US Gives Ukraine President $46M in Aide, Later Intercepts 6 Russian Planes Near Alaska

An Alaskan base scrambled two F-22 fighter jets to intercept a group of six Russian planes approaching the U.S. sovereign airspace near Alaska on Wednesday. The American planes intercepted those of the Russians before they could enter American airspace, but Canadian planes intercepted two more Russian planes the next day.

Wednesday evening two American F-22s intercepted six Russian aircraft off western Alaska, according to The Associated Press, and forced the planes to return. NORAD spokesman Lt. Col. Michael Jazdyk said the planes were intercepted 55 nautical miles from the Alaska coast.

The Russian squadron was comprised of two IL-78 refueling tankers, two Mig-31 fighter jets and two Tu-95 Bear long-range bombers, which returned to their bases in Russia after the fighters were scrambled.

However, this was not the last incursion by Russian planes.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, Canada scrambled two CF-18 fighters to intercept two Russian bombers some 40 nautical miles off Canada's coast near the Beaufort Sea.

The NORAD spokesman told reporters that the fighters were sent "basically to let those aircraft know that we see them, and in case of a threat, to let them know we are there to protect our sovereign airspace."

The Russian planes, in both cases, crossed into the Air Defense Identification Zone, "which extends about 200 miles from the coastline." Yet, the planes did not enter either country's sovereign airspace.

According to CNN, Washington officials suspect Russia behaved in such a manner because Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko, who visited Canada on Wednesday and met with President Obama on Thursday. Poroshenko managed to receive $46 million in nonlethal aide from the U.S. to fight the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

However, Russia has not attempted to only violate U.S. airspace but also has violated that of other countries. Reuters reports, Russian planes violated Swedish airspace earlier this week over the island of Oland in the Baltic Sea. The Swedish government requested the presence of the Russian ambassador to explain his country's actions.