Two Russian planes buzzed the American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan as it sailed in international waters east of the Korean peninsula,
Stars and Stripes reports.
The news outlet reports the Ronald Reagan scrambled four fighter jets after the Russian reconnaissance planes came within one nautical mile Tuesday morning.
Stars and Stripes reported U.S. officials tried — and failed — to contact the Russian aircraft; an American ship escorting the Ronald Reagan followed the Russian aircraft as they withdrew, officials tell the news outlet.
"We are advocates of any country being able to operate within international norms," 7th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Lauren Cole tells Star and Stripes.
"We do caveat that with the fact that all of these operations need to be conducted in accordance with the rights and regulations of other countries, and within a safe manner."
"Even if we don't have flight operations ongoing, we are still very cognizant of what is going on in the airspace, within a good distance," Cole added.
Navt Cmdr. William Marks tells CNN he thought the interaction was "safe,"
CNN reports.
"It is standard operating procedure for U.S. planes to escort aircraft flying in the vicinity of U.S. Navy ships," Marks said in an email to the cable news outlet. "This type of interaction is not unprecedented. Overall, I would characterize the interaction as safe."
The incident wasn't anything new.
On July 4,
U.S. fighter jets intercepted Russian fighters off the coasts of California and Alaska.
And in June, the Navy released video of a Russian jet flying past the guided missile destroyer
USS Ross in the Black Sea off Crimea.
Related Stories:
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.