Military Times by Hyung-Jin Kim 7/24/2019
Russia wants an investigation into South Korea’s allegation that a Russian military plane violated South Korean airspace, a senior lawmaker said Wednesday, citing Moscow’s acting ambassador. The U.S. called for close consultation between Washington and Seoul to deal with similar incidents in the future.
Seoul said South Korean fighter jets fired flares and 360 rounds of warning shots to drive away the Russian reconnaissance plane that entered its airspace twice Tuesday during a joint patrol with other Russian and Chinese bombers. Russia and China said none of their planes entered South Korean territory.
South Korea's Defense Ministry said it will hold talks with officials from the Russian Embassy on Thursday and that it has evidence that can prove Russia's territorial trespassing. Senior South Korean presidential official Yoon Do-han later said the evidence includes radar images and photos of the flare firing.
South Korea says the incident marked the first airspace violation by a foreign military plane since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. Seoul officials said the five Russian and Chinese planes, including the Russian reconnaissance aircraft, made a highly unusual joint entrance to South Korea's air defense identification zone earlier Tuesday, prompting South Korean fighter jets to scramble.
Such a zone is not a country's territorial sky and extends beyond it. It is meant to give authorities an early warning of a possible incursion.
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https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2019/07/25/russia-wants-probe-on-alleged-south-korea-airspace-violation/
