Russian asylum seekers land in Alaska, federal officials urged

Two Russian nationals sought asylum in Alaska on Tuesday when they landed on St. Lawrence Island by boat, leaving lawmakers from the state asking the federal government for additional support in case more Russians flee to Alaska due to Putin's military call-up.

The town of Gambell on the northwestern tip of the island is more than 60 miles from mainland Russia across the Bering Strait. Local authorities first encountered Russian nationals and contacted the U.S. Coast Guard for help.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Customs and Border Protection had to send Coast Guard responders from over 750 miles away to arrive on the scene.

We are engaged with federal officials and residents in Gambell to determine who these individuals are, but we already know that the federal response was lacking. Only local officials and state law enforcement had the ability to respond immediately to the asylum seekers, while Customs and Border Protection had to dispatch a Coast Guard aircraft from over 750 miles away to get on the scene, Murkowski said. This situation underscores the need for a stronger security posture in America's Arctic. Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, said in a statement that he spoke to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the incident. Sullivan said that CBP is still determining whether the two Russians will be allowed into the U.S.

Sullivan said that he has encouraged CBP to have a plan ready for the Coast Guard in the event that more Russians flee to Bering Strait communities in Alaska.

The incident makes two things clear: First, the Russian people don't want to fight Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine. Second, given Alaska's proximity to Russia, our state has a vital role to play in securing America s national security. A CBP spokesman didn't respond immediately to a request for comment.