Military Responds to Air Defense Zone Entry

Several Russian military aircraft briefly entered South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) above its eastern waters on Tuesday afternoon, prompting the South Korean military to dispatch fighter jets in response, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The aircraft entered the zone near South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo and nearby Ulleung Island, as reported by Yonhap News Agency, citing the JCS. The South Korean military detected the aircraft before they entered the zone and deployed Air Force fighter jets to prepare for any possible contingencies, a JCS statement said.

The military confirmed that the Russian aircraft did not violate South Korea's airspace, distinguishing the KADIZ from territorial airspace. The air defense identification zone is not territorial airspace but is delineated to call on foreign planes to identify themselves so as to prevent accidental clashes, the report explained.

Recent Precedent

The incident follows a similar occurrence in late June, when nearly 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft briefly entered and left the KADIZ above South Korea's eastern and southern waters. At that time, the defense ministry lodged a strong protest with China and Russia over the unauthorized entry.