• South Korean jets scrambled as Russian and Chinese aircraft entered its Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ).
• Two Chinese and seven Russian military jets conducted a joint air patrol without prior notification.
• This marks the first such joint exercise in over a year, triggering military responses from South Korea and Japan.

On Tuesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that seven Russian and two Chinese military aircraft entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) around 10 am local time. In response, Seoul deployed fighter jets to prepare for any potential emergencies, although it confirmed that the foreign jets did not violate South Korean airspace, merely entering the monitored KADIZ area. The military maneuvers lasted about an hour before the aircraft departed, according to South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera, BBC, and India Times.

In conjunction with South Korea, Japan separately scrambled its military aircraft, reinforcing air defense measures against possible incursions. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated that Russian bombers flew from the Sea of Japan towards Tsushima Strait and coordinated with Chinese jets in the region, heightening security concerns. This joint exercise showcases the increased military collaboration between Russia and China amid growing tensions in East Asia, reports Al Jazeera and India Times.

South Korea has lodged formal complaints with the defense attaches of both China and Russia following the incursion. The South Korean military has stated its commitment to monitoring and responding actively to aircraft from neighboring nations operating within the KADIZ, as is their right under international law. Both countries have notably entered KADIZ without notifications on numerous occasions since 2019, a fact underscored by the details released by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to South China Morning Post, BBC, and India Times.

China's Ministry of National Defence later described the joint air drills with Russia as part of "annual cooperation plans" aimed at maintaining regional stability while asserting that the flights were aligned with mutual defense practices. The scenario reflects the ongoing military relationship between Moscow and Beijing, intensifying regional responses from their adversaries, particularly South Korea and Japan, stated Al Jazeera and BBC.