Washington (CNN) US and Canadian fighter jets intercepted two Russian long-range bombers off the coast of Alaska Thursday, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which released images of the encounter.

Two US F-22 stealth jets and two Canadian CF-18 fighters intercepted the nuclear-capable Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers after they entered Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones, which extend approximately 200 miles off Alaska's western coast, NORAD said in a statement.

The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and never entered US or Canadian sovereign territory, the statement added.

This latest intercept comes at a complicated time in US-Russian relations.

On one hand, President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants to improve relations with Moscow, but at the same time, the two countries have clashed over a wide range of geopolitical issues, including Russia's annexation of Crimea, election interference and the attempted poisoning of an alleged Russian spy in Britain.

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