S Korea scrambles jets after Chinese, Russian warplanes approach

SEOUL: South Korea’s military said it scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday as six Russian and two Chinese warplanes entered its air defence zone without notice.

Japan’s military also said it had scrambled jets in response to flights over the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, by Russian and Chinese aircraft.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the Chinese H-6 bombers repeatedly entered and exited the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) near South Korea’s southern and northeastern coasts early on Wednesday. Hours later they returned to the zone from the East Sea, accompanied by Russian warplanes including two Su-35 fighter jets and four TU-95 bombers, it added.

All the warplanes eventually left the zone and none violated South Korea’s airspace, Seoul said.

An ADIZ is an area wider than a country’s airspace in which it tries to control aircraft for security reasons, but the concept is not defined in any international treaty. “Our military deployed air force fighter jets even before Chinese and Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ to take tactical measures in case of contingency,” the JCS said.