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Japan reported that a Russian reconnaissance plane violated Japanese airspace three times on Monday.
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The Japanese air defense force responded with fighter planes and fired flares.
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Last month, a Chinese military plane violated Japanese airspace.
A Russian military spy plane repeatedly violated Japanese airspace on Monday, prompting the plane to deploy fighter jets and fire flares.
The incident comes a month after another incident last month, in which a Chinese military reconnaissance aircraft directly violated Japanese airspace known for the first time.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense reported On Monday, airspace was violated when it was confirmed that a Russian military IL-38 patrol plane entered Japanese airspace near Rebun Island, northwest of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island.
Japan reported that the spy plane entered the airspace three times, for one minute, 30 seconds and one minute respectively.
In response to the raid, Japan’s air defense force called in its F-35 and F-15 fighter jets and fired flares to deter the Russian planes. Tokyo also said it was strongly protesting the incident through diplomatic channels with Moscow.
A map released by Japan’s Defense Ministry shows the flight path of the IL-38. Monday’s incident is the first known violation by a Russian military aircraft since 2019.
The raid comes shortly after a Chinese military Y-9 spy plane violated Japanese airspace near the Danjo Islands, southeast of Nagasaki, late last month. The Chinese military Y-9 was in Japanese airspace for three minutes, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.
At that time, fighter planes of the Japanese Air Defense Force were in action, but they did not fire any flares.
China regularly flies military aircraft into international airspace, in accordance with international law. It also flies into disputed airspace, often to assert its position. But last month’s incident was the first time that one of Beijing’s military aircraft had directly violated Japanese airspace.
Days later, a Chinese Navy Ship Violates Japanese Territorial Waters west of Kuchinoerabu Island, which lies in the Tokara Strait, southwest of the country’s four largest islands.
The Chinese Schuppan-class research vessel remained in the area before departing southwest of Yakushima Island.
China claimed that neither incident was linked, said Mao Ning, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. to argue that the passage through the Tokara Strait was “completely lawful and legitimate”.
Read the original article at Company Insider