Russian jets prompt South Korean fighter scramble in Adiz incident
Russian military aircraft violated South Korea's air defence identification zone. In response, Seoul scrambled its fighter jets.
What do you need to know?
- Russian military aircraft entered South Korea's air defence identification zone on Saturday, as confirmed by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
- According to Yonhap agency, South Korea's airspace was not violated, and the incident occurred during exercises.
- Similar incidents have occurred, including in November 2024 when Chinese and Russian aircraft entered the identification zone.
Why did Russian aircraft enter the zone?
Russian military aircraft entered South Korea's air defence identification zone, prompting Seoul to respond immediately. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that fighter jets were scrambled in response.
The statement cited by Yonhap agency emphasised that there was no violation of the country's airspace.
What were the past incidents?
Similar situations have occurred in the past. In November 2024, five Chinese and six Russian military aircraft entered the identification zone without prior notice. At that time, the authorities in Seoul also scrambled fighter jets and lodged a diplomatic protest.
An air defence identification zone is not national airspace, but the South Korean authorities require aircraft entering it to provide prior notification.
What does the air defence identification zone mean?
No international treaty defines the air defence identification zone, but it plays an important role in monitoring air traffic. The South Korean authorities expect aircraft entering this zone to notify in advance.
"It is not suspected that Russian aircraft intended to violate South Korea's airspace," Yonhap agency noted, citing a statement from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
