A high-stakes drama played out in the North American skies this weekend as the US intercepted the fourth UFO in the past week.

The most recent incident occurred Lake Huron, near the US-Canadian border, when the US intercepted an octagonal object flying at around 20,000 feet. The US aerospace command, NORAD, tracked the object both visually and with radar. It was destroyed over the lake to avoid potential hazards to civil aviation and to improve the chances of debris recovery, according to a statement from the Pentagon.

The first of these mysterious incursions, attributed to China, was shot down off the US East Coast last week. While the object has been described as a suspected Chinese spy balloon, China has insisted it was just a weather balloon that had gone off course. However, Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accused Beijing of “an act of belligerence” regarding the object, saying it was “done with provocation to gather intelligence data, and collect intelligence on our three major nuclear sites”.

The second and third objects, shot down over Canada’s Yukon territory and Alaska respectively, have both been described as balloons, but much smaller than the first one. The third object was shot down following orders from US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This UFO was described by Canadian officials as small and cylindrical, about the size of a Volkswagen car. Recovery teams have been searching for debris in the Yukon, while US teams have been struggling with Arctic conditions as they search near Deadhorse, Alaska, where the second object was shot down.

Despite the series of events, there has been a lack of transparency from the Biden administration. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, expressed “real concerns about why the administration is not being more forthcoming”. Republicans have also harshly criticized Biden for allowing the first balloon to drift for days across the country, potentially gathering sensitive intelligence, before having it shot down.

However, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer defended Biden’s handling of the situation, saying that an analysis of recovered debris would represent “a huge coup for the United States”. Biden has faced criticism from both sides of the aisle, but despite the lack of information, the public has been left to speculate and wonder about the true nature of these objects and what they could mean for national security.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has been on high alert and temporarily closed the airspace over Lake Michigan on Sunday, causing jittery Americans to keep a close eye on the skies. The closure was to ensure the safety of air traffic in the area during NORAD operations, and the temporary flight restriction has since been lifted.

Despite the heightened state of alert, it remains unclear what the true nature of these objects is, and why they were flying over North American airspace. The US has shot down all four “out of an abundance of caution”, but much remains unknown. As recovery teams continue to search for debris, the public awaits further information and clarification from the Biden administration. The events of the past week have been dramatic and intriguing, but with so many unanswered questions, it seems that this story is far from over.