Russian aircraft maneuver in South Korea’s air defence zone, prompting response

Several Russian military aircraft entered the South Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) over the East Sea of Japan on March 15, prompting South Korea’s air force to scramble fighter jets in response.

This was announced by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, which emphasized that the Russian planes were closely monitored throughout their manoeuvres, Caliber.Az reports via Korean media.

According to the military, the Russian aircraft, whose exact type was not specified, crossed the KADIZ boundary at approximately 9:20 a.m. They then carried out manoeuvres in the eastern and northern parts of the zone before departing. Importantly, the Russian planes did not violate South Korean national airspace.

The South Korean military highlighted that the aircraft had been detected before entering KADIZ, allowing fighter jets to be deployed in advance to establish visual contact. In an official statement, the military clarified that the Russian flights were part of a military exercise and were not intended to infringe upon South Korean airspace.

It is important to note that KADIZ is not a sovereign airspace but rather a designated zone meant to facilitate the identification of aircraft, thereby reducing the risk of unintended aviation incidents.

Seoul also acknowledged that Russia had no intention of violating its airspace. However, as a precautionary measure, South Korean fighter jets were deployed to escort the Russian planes if necessary.

Moscow has consistently maintained that South Korea unilaterally established the air defence identification zone and that it does not impose any legal obligations on foreign nations. While Seoul requires advance notification for flights passing through KADIZ, it routinely scrambles fighter jets in response to such incidents, even if South Korean airspace remains unaffected.

By Tamilla Hasanova