NORAD: 4 Russian military aircraft seen in international airspace off Alaska coast

Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Four Russian military aircraft were spotted near Alaska on Tuesday, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

In a press release Tuesday, NORAD said it "detected and tracked four Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone."

The ADIZ is international airspace adjacent to Canadian and American airspace where NORAD identifies and tracks aircraft for potential threats.

According to NORAD, the aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian airspace.

NORAD emphasized that "Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat."

In August, Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, released a statement regarding Chinese and Russian naval movements near the Aleutian Islands.

"Incursions like this are why we are working so hard to secure funding and resources to expand our military's capacity and capabilities in Alaska, and why our colleagues must join us in supporting these investments," said Murkowski.