South Korea scrambles jets after Russian military planes enter air defence zone
South Korea said on Wednesday it had scrambled fighter jets in response to Russian military aircraft entering its air defence zone, the second such incursion in weeks. The relationship between the countries has worsened since South Korea joined Western sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and since Moscow built stronger ties with North Korea. Seoul’s defence ministry said multiple…
On Wednesday, South Korea activated fighter jets in response to Russian military aircraft breaching its air defence zone, marking the second such occurrence in recent weeks. Tensions between the nations have escalated since South Korea aligned with Western sanctions in reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and following Moscow's closer relations with North Korea.
The South Korean Defence Ministry reported that multiple Russian aircraft entered and subsequently exited its air defence identification zone over the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. "South Korea's military detected the Russian aircraft before they entered the zone and prepared fighter jets for any contingency," the ministry stated, omitting specifics.
The Russian aircraft did not infringe upon South Korean airspace, according to the ministry. An air defence identification zone is not sovereign territory but a buffer area where nations require foreign aircraft to identify themselves for security reasons. Military aircraft typically are expected to inform the relevant country prior to entering its zone, although there is no legal obligation to do so.
In late June, over 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered South Korea's air defence zone. The Chinese and Russian forces reportedly conducted a "strategic air patrol" over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the western Pacific Ocean, as per Beijing's defence ministry. Russia's defence ministry claimed the patrol was a routine military cooperation exercise and not directed against any third countries.
Nonetheless, South Korea lodged protests with Beijing and Moscow, urging measures to avert future incidents.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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