An increase in Russian military planes and vessels near American territory has pressured the US to relocate 130 soldiers along with mobile rocket launchers to a desolate island in Alaska.

Eight Russian military planes and four navy vessels – including two submarines – have come close to the ‘last frontier’ in the past week as Russia and China have conducted joint military drills, beginning on September 10.

A Pentagon spokesperson said there was no cause for alarm as the aircrafts have yet to breach U.S. airspace.

‘It’s not the first time that we’ve seen the Russians and the Chinese flying in the vicinity and that’s something that we obviously closely monitor,’ Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a news conference.

‘It’s also something that we’re prepared to respond to,’ he added.

Russia and China began the military exercises in the Pacific and Arctic oceans on September 10.

As part of a ‘force projection operation,’ the U.S. Army sent soldiers to Shemya Island – some 1,200 miles southwest of the Alaskan capitol – on September 12.

The soldiers brought two HIMARS to the derelict island and the U.S. military deployed a guided missile destroyer and a Coast Guard vessel.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command tracked and detected Russian military planes operating off Alaska over a four-day span with two planes each day beginning on September 11.

The planes operated in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone – a zone beyond U.S. sovereign airspace – but within which the U.S. expects aircraft to identify themselves.

The Russian Embassy in the U.S. did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The number of such invasions have fluctuated yearly, NORAD reports. The average was six to seven interceptions a year though last year, 26 Russian planes came into the Alaska zone and so far this year there have been 25.

In such encounters it is common for the U.S. military to provide photos of the Russian warplanes being escorted by either U.S. or Canadian planes.

However none were released in the past week and a NORAD spokeswoman, Canadian Maj. Jennie Derenzis, declined to say whether jets were scrambled to intercept the Russian planes.

The U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday its homeland security vessel – the 418-foot Stratton – was on routine patrol in the Chukchi Sea when it tracked four Russian Federation Navy vessels about 60 miles northwest of Point Hope, Alaska.

The Russian vessels, which included two submarines, a frigate and a tugboat, had crossed the maritime boundary into U.S. waters to avoid sea ice, which is permitted under international rules and customs.

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan called for a larger military presence in the Aleutians while advocating for the U.S. to respond with strength to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

‘In the past two years, we´ve seen joint Russian-Chinese air and naval exercises off our shores and a Chinese spy balloon floating over our communities,’ Sullivan said in a statement.

‘These escalating incidents demonstrate the critical role the Arctic plays in great power competition between the U.S., Russia, and China.’

Sullivan said the U.S. Navy should reopen its shuttered base at Adak, located in the Aleutians. Naval Air Facility Adak was closed in 1997.

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A tragic collision between two Mazda commercial buses occurred on the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries.

The accident happened near the Ilaje area, with reports indicating that the buses were engaged in a high-speed chase before colliding head-on.

Reckless driving was a contributing factor, as both vehicles were speeding from the Adeniji Adele axis towards Iyana-Oworonsoki prior to the crash.

Emergency services from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) responded quickly to the scene, rescuing the eight injured passengers who suffered serious fractures.

They were transported to Gbagada General Hospital by Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS) for urgent medical attention.

He said it, he repeated it, and he continues to proclaim it. Putin wants to conquer Ukraine, according to him, it’s a matter of survival for Russia.

For the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, “the success of the Russian Federation depends on its ability to attract the greatest possible number of people to the battlefield. And if we don’t change course quickly, if we don’t mobilize all our capacities, this will allow Putin to win the war in Ukraine”.

Alexander Musienko, head of the Ukrainian military legal research center, estimates “the projects that Russia has absolutely failed to achieve. They should have captured all of Ukraine long ago, but they simply cannot. And they will constantly need reinforcements, they will bring in more and more forces, but they will not be able to achieve their goals. Everyone knows that Putin will go all the way, he has no choice, there is no way back.”

Despite this, Musienko is optimistic:

“They have problems with personnel, there are problems with the manning units, there are problems and gaps with the personnel, while on paper everything is fine, but in reality, de facto, these forces do not exist. It doesn’t work with the Russians.”

(MH with FM/Source: The Guardian/Nexta/Photo: Pixabay)