South Korea Protests Unannounced Entry of Chinese and Russian Military Planes into Air Defence Zone

South Korea’s defence ministry has expressed a strong protest to Beijing and Moscow after Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered the country’s air defence identification zone (KADIZ) without prior announcement. South Korean fighter jets were scrambled in response to the presence of four Chinese and four Russian military planes. While they did not violate South Korea’s airspace, their entry into the KADIZ prompted a tactical response from the South Korean Air Force to prevent any accidental incidents. The defence ministry has lodged a protest and urged both countries to take measures to avoid such occurrences, citing potential regional tensions. Japan also scrambled fighter jets in response to Russian and Chinese aircraft flying together in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. China and Russia have conducted joint patrols since 2019 as part of their expanding partnership, while concerns over military encounters have risen in the Asia-Pacific region.