South Korea and Japan separately scrambled military aircraft after Russian and Chinese planes conducted a coordinated air patrol near both countries.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said seven Russian and two Chinese aircraft entered South Korea’s Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) at about 10:00 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) on Tuesday. The formation, which included fighters and bombers, was detected approaching the KADIZ and prompted South Korean fighters to be dispatched to monitor and respond to any contingencies. Yonhap reported the foreign aircraft flew into and out of the KADIZ for roughly an hour before departing.
Tokyo also deployed aircraft to enforce air-defence measures after the joint mission. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said two Russian Tu-95 bombers flew from the Sea of Japan into the Tsushima Strait and rendezvoused with two Chinese H-6 bombers. At least eight Chinese J-16 fighters and a Russian A-50 early-warning plane accompanied the bombers as they operated around Japan, including movements between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island. Koizumi characterized the recurring bomber flights as an escalation of activity intended to show force and described them as a serious national security concern. His remarks followed other recent incidents in which Japan alleged Chinese fighters locked fire-control radar on Japanese aircraft over international waters near Okinawa.
Japan’s Ministry of Defence said it had been tracking the Chinese carrier Liaoning and accompanying vessels near Okinawa since Friday, recording dozens of takeoffs and landings; it reported this as the first confirmed instance of fighter operations from that carrier in waters between Okinawa’s main island and Minami-Daitojima.
China’s Ministry of National Defence said the drills with Russia were part of annual bilateral cooperation plans and described the mission as the 10th joint strategic air patrol conducted above the East China Sea and the western Pacific. The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the exercise, saying it lasted about eight hours and that foreign fighters shadowed the aircraft at certain stages.
China and Russia have frequently flown military aircraft near South Korean and Japanese airspace since 2019, often citing joint exercises. Seoul and Tokyo have scrambled jets in previous incidents, including South Korea in November 2024 and Japan after joint flights approached its airspace in 2022. Both Beijing and Moscow have deepened military ties since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and each maintains relations with North Korea, a mutual security concern for South Korea and Japan.