South Korea says Russian military planes entered its air defence zone

SEOUL: South Korea's defence ministry announced on Wednesday that multiple Russian military aircraft had entered and then departed the country's air defence identification zone over the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. This marks the second such incursion in recent weeks. The deteriorating relations between the two nations have been exacerbated by South Korea's participation in Western sanctions imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as Moscow's growing ties with North Korea.

South Korea's military detected the Russian aircraft approaching the zone before they entered it and prepared fighter jets for any potential action, though the specifics remain undisclosed. The Russian aircraft did not breach South Korean airspace, according to the defence ministry. An air defence identification zone is a buffer area where countries request foreign aircraft to confirm their identity for security reasons.

While military aircraft typically inform the relevant country of their entry into the zone, there is no legal requirement to do so.

Earlier this month, over 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft had entered South Korea's air defence zone. The Chinese defence ministry reported at the time that Chinese and Russian forces had carried out a "strategic air patrol" over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the western Pacific Ocean, stating that it was part of normal military cooperation plans and not directed against third countries.

Despite this, South Korea lodged protests with Beijing and Moscow, demanding measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.