By The Canadian Press on February 14, 2023.
OTTAWA – The North American Aerospace Defence Command says fighter jets from Canada and the United States were scrambled Monday night as four Russian military aircraft approached Alaska. Norad in a statement today says the Russian aircraft included long-range bombers and fighter escorts. Norad says none of the Russian aircraft entered North American airspace, that they did not pose a threat, and that such flights are a regular occurrence each year. The Russian flight nonetheless comes at a time of heightened tension and worry within North America after the appearance of several balloons and other unidentified objects. Four of those objects have since been brought down, including one in central Yukon on Saturday and another in Lake Huron on Sunday. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says authorities are continuing to search for the wreckage of those objects in the hopes of learning more about them. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2023. 8