Japan scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday after Russian and Chinese military planes flew together near its airspace, the Japanese Defense Ministry said. Tensions in the region have been rising.
Two Russian Tu-95 bombers, which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, flew from the Sea of Japan to the East China Sea and met up with two Chinese H-6 bombers. Together, they made a long joint flight over the Pacific. Four Chinese J-16 fighter jets also joined the bombers as they traveled between Okinawa and Miyako islands, passing through the Miyako Strait, which is international waters.
Japan also detected more Russian aircraft in the Sea of Japan, including an A-50 early-warning plane and two Su-30 fighters.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the joint flight was “clearly meant to intimidate us” and is a serious concern for Japan’s security. He stated that Japanese jets responded with appropriate defense measures.
According to Russian media, the flight lasted eight hours. South Korea’s military reported that seven Russian and two Chinese planes also entered its air defense zone on Tuesday, which comes as China has been increasing its military activity near Japan. Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo might respond if China takes military action against Taiwan that threatens Japan. Recently, China and Russia have also expanded their military cooperation, holding joint missile defense exercises in Russia and conducting naval drills in the South China Sea.
