South Korea said on Tuesday that Russian warplanes entered without warning and that it responded with unspecified “tactical action,” a term that usually refers to the scrambling of fighter jets to chase away unauthorized foreign aircraft. South Korea’s General Staff said in a statement that the move was aimed at preventing accidental clashes along the air defense reconnaissance zone, but did not elaborate. South Korea’s military has not confirmed Russian media reports that it scrambled F-16 fighter jets in response to two Russian Tu-95 bombers escorted by a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet flying over waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan . The incident came a day after South Korea and the United States began their largest combined military drills in years in response to North Korea’s nuclear threat. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which continue until September 1, involve aircraft, warships and tanks and potentially tens of thousands of troops. Air defense identification zones are usually extended beyond a country’s territory to allow more time to respond to potentially hostile aircraft. Military aircraft entering another country’s air defense identification zone are required to notify it in advance. Russian and Chinese warplanes have frequently entered South Korea’s air defense reconnaissance zones in recent years as they flex their muscles amid heightened competition with the United States. In 2019, South Korea said its fighter jets fired hundreds of warning shots at a Russian military plane it said had twice violated its national airspace off its east coast. Russia has denied that its aircraft entered South Korean territory.
