Russian warplanes have been spotted encroaching on U.S. airspace, prompting American fighter jets to scramble in response. This incident comes hot on the heels of President Donald Trump's stern warning that he would not hesitate to down Russian aircraft if they were found trespassing in international airspace without authorisation.

The event, which unfolded on Wednesday, marks the third such occurrence within a month and the ninth this year where the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has reported Russian aircraft in close proximity to Alaska.

In a statement released by NORAD on Thursday, it was revealed that two Tu-95s and two Su-35s were detected operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). This prompted nine U.S. aircraft to swiftly intercept the Russian jets. The news emerges after Trump issues chilling WW3 warning at Keir Starmer press conference.

While NORAD maintains that Russian military activity in the area is routine and not deemed a threat, the escalating frequency of Russian jet incursions into U.S. and NATO territories has stirred unease and tension.

Earlier this week, suspected Russian drones caused major disruption at Copenhagen and Oslo airports.

Although authorities stopped short of directly naming suspects as of Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen hinted at possible Kremlin involvement in what she described as the "most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date.", reports the Express US.

"I cannot rule out that it is Russia," Frederiksen told reporters.

"We have seen drones over Poland that should not have been there. We have seen activity in Romania. We have seen violations of Estonian airspace," she added, referring to a list of recent incidents that have been connected to Russia.

On Tuesday, NATO issued a stark warning to Russia that it would deploy all available resources to defend against any additional breaches of its airspace following the downing of Russian drones flying over Poland earlier this month.

"And here we see a clear pattern: Russia is testing the European borders, also probing our resolve and undermining our security throughout," Anitta Hipper, European Commission spokesperson said.

Tensions were also evident this week during the 80th United Nations General Assembly.

During a meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the American leader was questioned about whether he believed NATO nations should target Russian aircraft entering international airspace.

"Yes I do," Trump simply responded.

The direct answer left Zelensky visibly taken aback.

Although he remained silent on the reporter's inquiry, the Ukrainian leader swiftly glanced towards Trump, his eyes widening with an expression of astonishment. President Trump has previously hinted that his administration may offer air support to European troops in Ukraine as part of a postwar settlement, although he refrained from providing further details.

"These matters will be discussed in our bilateral meeting in New York," Zelensky informed journalists on Friday. "I want to gauge how close we are to understanding that security guarantees will meet our needs."

Trump has also expressed his desire to facilitate direct discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky. However, Putin has shown no interest in such talks, while Moscow continues to escalate its attacks on Ukraine.

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