There are news reports saying: "Russian bombers were discovered in Alaskan airspace, and the United States immediately dispatched fighter jets in retaliation."
The fact is that the term "retaliation" is a bit exaggerated; a more accurate statement would be that "U.S. fighter jets identified and monitored the Russian bombers near Alaska."
1. Where did the planes fly to?
Russian bombers did indeed fly near Alaska.
But they were in international airspace, not U.S. territorial airspace.
👉 It's like someone walking on the sidewalk in front of your house, without stepping through the front door.
2. Why did the U.S. dispatch fighter jets?
The U.S. has a warning area called ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone).
Whenever someone approaches this area, the U.S. sends fighter jets to "confirm identity."
This is called interception/identification, which means: take a look and keep an eye on them.
👉 It's like a security guard seeing a stranger at the door and asking, "Who are you? What do you want?"
3. Is interception retaliation?
No!
Interception = Approaching, monitoring, warning.
Retaliation = Opening fire, attacking.
This time there was no firing; the Russian aircraft did not intrude into U.S. airspace, so it was just a "routine alert," not an immediate declaration of war.
4. Why does this happen often?
This is not uncommon:
Russia will send bombers to fly near the U.S. doorstep to show off its strength.
The U.S. will also send fighter jets to intercept, indicating "I am watching you."
👉 Both sides are performing routine operations, considered "military daily activities," which does not equate to war.