Soldiers with the 11th Airborne Division moved to the tiny Shemya Island with artillery and radars to show how quickly they can mobilize

Russia's statement comes after the United States deployed two warships for homeland defense operations to protect Alaska.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command says it detected four Russian military aircraft flying near Alaska on Monday, less than two weeks after US Army soldiers were deployed to the area as part of a “force protection operation” amid an increase in Russian and Chinese military exercises in the region.