On Wednesday (August 21), South Korean officials said that several Russian military aircraft briefly entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) over the country's eastern waters before leaving. The move prompted the South Korean military to scramble fighter jets in response.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the Russian aircraft were inside the KADIZ for a few minutes before exiting the area. The KADIZ is a zone where countries typically require foreign aircraft to declare flight plans to avoid conflict, although it is not necessarily sovereign airspace.
The South Korean military immediately deployed fighter jets and aerial refueling aircraft to respond to the situation, the JCS said.
The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions, particularly related to Russian military activities in the Asia-Pacific region. Previously, Russia also conducted missile tests near islands claimed by Japan, deepening disputes among the parties.
There has been no official response from Russia regarding its aircraft entering the KADIZ this time.
