S Korea, Japan scramble warplanes in response to Russia, China air patrol

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Russian, Chinese planes entered its aerial defence portion during the associated exercise.

South Korea and Japan separately scrambled combatant jets aft Russian and Chinese subject craft conducted a associated aerial patrol adjacent some countries.

Seven Russian and 2 Chinese craft entered South Korea’s Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) astatine astir 10am section clip (01:00 GMT) connected Tuesday, according to the bureau of the Joint Chiefs of Staff successful Seoul.

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The planes, which included combatant jets and bombers, were spotted earlier they entered the KADIZ – which is not territorial airspace but wherever planes are expected to place themselves – and South Korea deployed “fighter jets to instrumentality tactical measures successful mentation for immoderate contingencies”, according to reports.

The Russian and Chinese planes flew successful and retired of the South Korean aerial defence portion for an hr earlier leaving, the subject said, according to South Korea’s authoritative Yonhap quality agency.

Japan separately deployed subject craft to “strictly implement” aerial defence measures “against imaginable airspace violations”, pursuing the reported associated patrol of Russia and China, Japanese Minister of Defence Shinjiro Koizumi said.

In a connection posted connected societal media precocious connected Tuesday, Koizumi said 2 Russian “nuclear-capable Tu-95 bombers” flew from the Sea of Japan to the Tsushima Strait, and met with 2 Chinese jets “capable of carrying long-range missiles”.

At slightest 8 different Chinese J-16 combatant jets and a Russian A-50 craft besides accompanied the bombers arsenic they conducted a associated formation “around” Japan, travelling betwixt Okinawa’s main land and Miyako Island, Koizumi said.

“The repeated associated flights of bombers by some countries signify an enlargement and intensification of activities astir our country, portion intelligibly intending to show unit against our nation, posing a superior interest for our nationalist security,” helium added.

9日（火）の午前から夕方にかけて、ロシアの核兵器搭載可能な爆撃機Tu-95×2機が日本海→対馬海峡を飛行し、中国の長射程ミサイルを搭載可能な爆撃機H-6×2機と東シナ海において合流したあと、沖縄本島・宮古島間→太平洋の四国沖まで我が国周辺を共同飛行しました。… pic.twitter.com/6RcWJbM99b

— 小泉進次郎 (@shinjirokoiz) December 9, 2025

Koizumi’s connection comes conscionable days aft helium accused Chinese combatant jets connected Sunday of directing their fire-control radar astatine Japanese craft successful 2 abstracted incidents implicit planetary waters adjacent Okinawa.

On Monday, Japan’s Ministry of Defence said that it had monitored the movements of the Chinese craft bearer Liaoning and accompanying enactment vessels adjacent Okinawa since Friday, adding that dozens of takeoffs and landings from Chinese craft connected the bearer were monitored.

Japan said it was the “first time” that combatant pitchy operations connected a Chinese craft bearer had been confirmed successful waters betwixt Okinawa’s main land and Minami-Daitojima land to the southeast.

Chinese craft bearer Liaoning sails done the Miyako Strait adjacent Okinawa connected its mode to the Pacific successful this handout photograph taken by Japan Self-Defence Forces and released by the Joint Staff Office of the Defence Ministry of Japan connected April 4, 2021 [Joint Staff Office of the Defence Ministry of Japan via Reuters]

China’s Ministry of National Defence said connected Tuesday that it had organised the associated aerial drills with Russia’s subject according to “annual practice plans”.

The aerial drills took spot supra the East China Sea and occidental Pacific Ocean, the ministry said, calling the exercises the “10th associated strategical aerial patrol” with Russia.

Moscow besides confirmed the associated workout with Beijing, saying that it had lasted 8 hours and that immoderate overseas combatant jets followed the Russian and Chinese aircraft.

“At definite stages of the route, the strategical bombers were followed by combatant jets from overseas states,” the Russian Defence Ministry said.

Since 2019, China and Russia person regularly flown subject craft adjacent South Korean and Japanese airspace without anterior notice, citing associated subject exercises.

In November 2024, Seoul scrambled jets arsenic 5 Chinese and six Russian subject planes flew done its aerial defence zone. In 2022, Japan besides deployed jets aft warplanes from Russia and China neared its airspace.

China and Russia person expanded subject and defence ties since Moscow’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine astir 4 years ago. Both countries are besides allies of North Korea, which is seen arsenic an adversary successful some South Korea and Japan.