South Korea scrambles jets after Russian, Chinese planes approach

AFP | Seoul

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South Korea said it had sent up fighter jets yesterday after seven Russian and two Chinese military aircraft entered its air defence zone. The Russian and Chinese aircraft entered the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) around 10 am local time (0100 GMT), Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

None of the planes violated South Korean airspace, they said. Seoul said it deployed “fighter jets to take tactical measures in preparation for any contingencies” in response.

The planes flew in and out of the zone for an hour before leaving, the military said, according to Yonhap.

The planes were spotted before they entered the air defence identification zone, defined as a broader area in which countries police aircraft for security reasons but which does not constitute their airspace.

China’s defence ministry later said it had organised drills with Russia’s military according to “annual cooperation plans”.

The drills took place Tuesday above the East China Sea and western Pacific Ocean, the ministry said, calling the exercises their “10th joint strategic air patrol”. Since 2019, China and Russia have regularly flown military aircraft into South Korea’s air defence zone without prior notice, citing joint exercises.