 Story highlights U.S. official: Incident related to visit by Ukraine President 
 
 NORAD says six Russian aircraft flew about 55 nautical miles from Alaska coastline 
 
 Two Russian planes flew about 40 miles off Canadian coastline, NORAD says 
 
 (CNN) Two U.S. jets this week intercepted six Russian planes that neared U.S. airspace off Alaska and Canadian planes intercepted two Russian bombers that approached Canadian airspace, NORAD reported. Image copyright PA Image caption Russian fighter jets were intercepted by Canadian and American planes on Wednesday 
 
 Six Russian fighter jets were intercepted by American and Canadian planes off the coast of Alaska on Wednesday, US defence officials have confirmed. Lt. Col. Michael Jazdyk, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, said the U.S. jets intercepted the planes about 55 nautical miles from the Alaskan coast at about 7 p.m. Pacific time Wednesday. At about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets intercepted two of the long-range bombers about 40 nautical miles off the Canadian coastline in the Beaufort Sea. In both cases, the Russian planes entered the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends about 200 miles from the coastline. Though the planes did not enter sovereign territory, the statement said, they did enter the U.S. Air Defense Identification Zone west of Alaska and the Canadian ADIZ, according to a statement.
– Russian military pilots seem to be getting a little adventurous these days. A pair of US military jets intercepted six Russian aircraft near the coast of Alaska Wednesday evening, reports AP. The Russian pilots never entered US airspace, but instead remained in something called the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends about 200 miles from the coast. Still, NORAD sent up two US jets "basically to let those aircraft know that we see them, and in case of a threat, to let them know we are there to protect our sovereign airspace," says a spokesperson. The six Russian planes—two fighter jets, two long-range bombers, and two refueling tankers—eventually looped back toward Russia. Hours later, Canadian fighter jets intercepted two Russian long-range bombers over the Beaufort Sea, near the Canadian coast but again in the international zone. While such incidents aren't all that uncommon, one US official tells CNN that Moscow was likely expressing its displeasure about a visit by Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko to the US and Canada. Elsewhere, two Russian military aircraft entered Swedish air space without authorization, reports the BBC. Sweden's foreign ministry called it a "serious violation" and has summoned the Russian ambassador to complain. (Russia doesn't think Scotland's independence vote was up to snuff.)