The United States tracked and intercepted two Russian Tu-95 bombers flying off the coast of Alaska on October 17, according to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in Alaska, cited by CNN.

The Russian aircraft “entered and operated within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ),” the statement said, and “remained in international airspace and did not enter US or Canadian sovereign airspace.”

“Recent Russian activity” in the ADIZ “is neither considered a threat nor an activity considered provocative,” NORAD said in a statement.

The ADIZ is international airspace adjacent to Alaska and extending in places more than 100 miles from the US territory. The US military initiates aircraft identification procedures in the ADIZ in the interest of national security.

According to NORAD’s previous statement, on September 11, NORAD identified two Russian maritime patrol aircraft operating inside air defenses.

NORAD detected Russian warplanes flying in the air defense zone three times in the same week in August, CNN previously reported. The three incidents occurred sometime between August 8 and 10, NORAD said at the time.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command is an organization created by the United States in cooperation with the Canadian government that represents the aerospace control and aerospace warning system for North America. It was established on May 12, 1958 under the name North American Air Defense Command.

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