South Korea Scrambles Jets as Russian Military Planes Enter Air Defense Zone

South Korea's Air Force scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday in response to Russian military aircraft entering the country's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), according to Seoul's Defense Ministry.

While the Russian planes entered the ADIZ, they did not violate South Korean sovereign airspace. The ADIZ is a broader area than sovereign airspace, designated for military air defense monitoring. This is not the first such incident; in late June, more than ten Chinese and Russian military aircraft also entered the South Korean ADIZ, prompting a similar response from Seoul's air force.

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The South Korean Air Force dispatched fighter jets in response.

The incursions occur against a backdrop of shifting geopolitical alliances and existing tensions. Russia and China are traditional allies of North Korea. South Korea and North Korea remain technically in a state of war since the Korean War armistice in 1953. Relations between Seoul and Moscow have deteriorated significantly since South Korea joined Western sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, while Russia has simultaneously strengthened ties with Pyongyang.

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The South Korean airspace was not violated.