Russian, Chinese bombers stage joint patrol near Alaska

Russian and Chinese jets conduct joint patrol near Alaska, emphasizing it's not directed at any third party.

Russian and Chinese jets staged a joint patrol over far eastern Russia and the Bering Sea near Alaska but Moscow and Beijing stressed it was not aimed at any "third party".

Wednesday's flights, with nuclear-capable bombers, came days after Moscow said the United States sent its own strategic bombers close to Russian airspace.

Russia said its "Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers and the Chinese air force's Xian H-6 strategic bombers carried out an aerial patrol over the Chukchi and Bering Seas and the north Pacific Ocean".

The joint US-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) earlier said American and Canadian warplanes had intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers in international airspace near Alaska on Wednesday.

It said the bombers "remained in international airspace" and were "not seen as a threat".

Moscow said the patrol observed international law and did not breach foreign airspace, adding that "at certain stages of the route, the aviation group was accompanied by fighter jets of foreign countries".

The patrol was part of "a plan of military cooperation for 2024 and not directed against third countries," Moscow said.