Russian fighter jets intercepted by US Air Force near Alaska escorting Cold War-era bombers
It was the first time the US has seen fighter jets escorting bombers near Alaska
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The US Air Force has intercepted advanced Russian fighter jets escorting Cold War-era bombers near Alaska for the first time.
Two Russian SU-35 fighter jets were seen by two F-22 stealth fighter jets escorting two Russian Bear bombers in Alaska’s Air Defence Zone about 50 miles southwest of Chariot, Alaska. The Russian formation stayed in international air space and were unarmed, officials told Fox News.
Russia has been sending aircraft into the area recently after a lengthy dry spell. Russian bombers were spotted in the area over four consecutive days last month, the first time since 2014.
Relations between the US and Russia have been strained recently. US President Donald Trump said last month that the relationship was at an “all-time low.” Even so, Mr Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone Wednesday. A readout following the conversation described it as “a very good one.” The White House indicated the two had talked about the situations in Syria and North Korea. Russian provocation were not mentioned.
The White House announced in the readout that they will be sending a representative to Kazakhstan on May 3 and 4 to participate in cease-fire talks for Syria. Two two presidents discussed implementing safe zones in Syria for "humanitarian and other reasons." Russia and the US have been divided on several fronts including what approach is appropriate in Syria, Russia's annexation of Ukraine, and Moscow's interference in the 2016 election that saw Mr Trump ascend to the presidency.
That division has pushed Mr Trump to modify some of his most controversial positions. After a meeting between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Putin that failed to resolve differences on those issues, Mr Trump reversed course on his assessment of NATO and said that it was "no longer obsolete."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments