For the second time in as many days, Russian bombers have breached the Alaskan Air Defense Zone and flown inside of 100 miles of American airspace.
This time, two TU-95 Bear bombers — the same types of planes spotted yesterday, if not the same ones — came within 36 miles of American airspace, report CNN and Fox News. Unlike yesterday's incident, the two bombers were intercepted by an E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft. Yesterday's bombers were met by a pair of F-22 Raptors.
>>RELATED: Two Russian bombers intercepted off coast of Alaska
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that relations with Russia are at a “low point.”
Like yesterday’s provocation, the bombers launched from airbases in eastern Russia, flying over the Pacific Ocean into the Alaskan Air Defense Zone. The Alaskan Air Defense Zone is over international waters but is an area so close to U.S. shores that all aircraft entering that airspace are required to identify themselves and state their destination.
Defense officials told CNN that the two incidents are considered “separate violations.”
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