By Kang Seung-woo
Two Russian bombers were tailed by Korean fighter jets Monday after attempting to violate the air defense safety zone above the East Sea, an Air Force officer said, Tuesday.
The Tu-95 strategic bombers tried to enter the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) at 11 a.m. on Monday and in response, two F-15Ks were dispatched to send a warning, according to the officer.
Foreign airplanes and ships are required to get approval from Korea’s military before entering the KADIZ. The KADIZ was designated by the commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Force Command in 1951 to prevent air clashes between nations surrounding the Korean Peninsula. Airspace over Dokdo is included in the KADIZ.
“Upon detecting the move, we immediately dispatched two F-15K fighter jets to the area, which sent warnings to interrupt it,” he said, adding that the Russian destroyers moved back to their planned route over international waters some 10 minutes later.
“It is not unusual for Russian bombers to fly toward the KADIZ. Whenever this happens, we send our fighters out for surveillance and to hinder them.”
In October 2010, a Tu-95 intruded on Korea’s air defense zone and a patrol of four KF-16s were dispatched.
Japan also scrambled pairs of Japanese F-4J, F-15J and F-2A aircraft, as the bombers flew northward from off the coast of Korea to off northern Hokkaido along the Japanese archipelago, according to Kyodo News.
Meanwhile, Russia said it did not violate the airspace of another country, adding that the planes, flying a training mission as part of snap military drills in the Eastern Military District, were followed by South Korean and Japanese fighter jets, according to RIA Novosti, Russia’s state news agency.
“The flight of the pair of Tu-95MS bombers continued for 7 hours and 15 minutes. They were ‘shadowed’ by two South Korean F-15K fighter jets and pairs of Japanese F-4J, F-15J and F-2A aircraft,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
“The mission was carried out north of the coast of Japan and was strictly in accordance with international rules and took place over international waters in the Pacific Ocean.”
Last Friday Russia launched an extensive snap check of combat readiness in the country’s Far East regions, on orders from President Vladimir Putin.