South Korea says Russian military planes entered its air defence zone

South Korea said on Wednesday (Aug 25) it had scrambled fighter jets in response to Russian military aircraft entering its air defence zone, the second such incursion in weeks.



The relationship between the countries has worsened since South Korea joined Western sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and since Moscow built stronger ties with North Korea.



Seoul's defence ministry said multiple Russian aircraft had entered and then left its air defence identification zone over the East Sea, also called the Sea of Japan.



"South Korea's military detected the Russian aircraft before they entered the zone and deployed Air Force fighter jets to prepare for any contingency," it said, without giving details.



The Russian aircraft did not violate South Korean airspace, it said.



An air defence identification zone is not sovereign airspace but a buffer area where countries require foreign aircraft to identify themselves for security purposes.



Military aircraft are generally expected to notify the relevant country before entering its zone, although there is no legal obligation to do so.