Two Russian nationals have been detained by US officials after arriving in a small boat on St Lawrence Island in Alaska.
According to the two US senators who represent the state, the men landed at a beach in the village of Gambell and requested asylum in the country.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said the duo's asylum claim was currently being processed.
Thousands have fled Russia to avoid being conscripted for war in Ukraine.
Gambell - home to less than 500 permanent residents - sits on the north-western cape of St Lawrence Island. The island is located some 36 miles (56km) from Russia's Chukchi Peninsula, meaning it is closer to Russia than it is to the Alaskan mainland. According to local media, Gambell residents can see the Russian territory of Siberia across the sea.
A local town clerk told the KTUU news station that the men had sailed there from the city of Egvekinot in north-eastern Russia, a journey of about 300 miles (480km) by sea, and have since been flown off the island.
DHS said the men came ashore "in a small boat on Tuesday" and had been flown to Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, for "vetting and screening".
At a news conference on Wednesday, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said their arrival "was a surprise to us".
"We don't anticipate a continual stream of individuals or a flotilla of individuals. We have no indication that's going to happen, so this may be a one-off," he added.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-63160469