SOUTH KOREA: According to South Korea’s military, two Chinese and six Russian aircraft breached its air defence zone, prompting the scrambling of fighters.
From around 5.50 a.m. local time on Wednesday, the Chinese H-6 bombers repeatedly entered and exited the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (Kadiz) off South Korea’s southern and northern shores, according to Seoul’s joint chiefs of staff.
Hours later, they returned to the area from the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea in Korea. Russian airplanes, including TU-95 bombers and SU-35 fighter jets, were among them, according to the JCS.
Countries that require additional identification procedures for foreign aircraft are said to have “air defence zones.” There are no international regulations governing air, in contrast to a nation’s airspace, which is the air over its territory and territorial waters.
It claimed that the aircraft did not trespass into South Korean airspace: “Our military dispatched air force fighter jets ahead of the Chinese and Russian aircraft’s entry of the Kadiz to implement tactical measures in preparation for a potential contingency,” JCS released a statement.
Korea’s air defence zone is not recognised by Moscow. Beijing claims that because it is not a country’s airspace, all nations should be able to move freely within it.
According to a later news release from Tokyo’s defence ministry, after the Chinese bombers crossed the East China Sea into the Sea of Japan, where they were joined by two Russian drones, Japan’s air defence force also sent fighter jets.
In the past, both China and Russia claimed that their warplanes regularly engaged in cooperative training.
Russian warplanes reportedly flew into the Kadiz region in August, according to the JCS. Chinese and Russian aircraft launched their first incursion in May, following the election of Yoon Suk-yeol as president of South Korea.
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