This is the heart-stopping moment a Russian jet flew close to a U.S. military plane in a near-miss crash near Alaska.

Footage shows the Russian aircraft swooping in just a few feet away from a US Air Force F-16 that was sent to intercept it in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on September 23.

General Gregory Guillot, Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said: 'On Sept 23, 2024, NORAD aircraft flew a safe and disciplined intercept of Russian Military Aircraft in the Alaska ADIZ. The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all – not what you'd see in a professional air force.'

NORAD said an air defense identification zone 'a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security'.

It added that the Russian activity 'occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat'.

The encounter happened a few weeks after eight Russian military jets and four navy vessels approached Alaska during joint drills with U.S. geopolitical rival China.

Russia is currently locked in a territorial war with Ukraine. Western powers including the U.S. and the United Kingdom have provided financial support to Ukraine.