Several Russian military aircraft briefly enter S. Korea's air defense zone: JCS

Seoul, August 26 - Russian military aircraft entered South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) over its eastern waters before departing, prompting the Korean military to deploy fighter jets in response, officials reported on Wednesday. The Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ near the easternmost islets of Dokdo and Ulleung Island on Tuesday afternoon, before exiting the zone, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The South Korean military initially detected the Russian aircraft entering the air defense zone, and promptly dispatched Air Force fighter jets to prepare for any potential contingencies, the JCS stated in a statement. The aircraft did not breach South Korea's airspace, the statement added. The air defense zone is designated to require foreign planes to identify themselves, aiming to prevent accidental clashes, rather than being territorial airspace.

This incident is the latest of its kind, following nearly 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft that briefly entered and exited the KADIZ above South Korea's eastern and southern waters in late June. The defense ministry had lodged a strong protest with China and Russia over the unauthorized entry at that time.