[Comprehensive] Six Aircraft Including Chinese and Russian Bombers Entered and Left Near Dokdo

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Six military aircraft from China and Russia sequentially entered and exited the Dokdo Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ).

On the 24th, the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "On this day, two Chinese military aircraft entered the KADIZ, and then re-entered the KADIZ together with four Russian military aircraft."

On this day, two Chinese military aircraft (H-6 bombers) entered the KADIZ at around 7:56 a.m. approximately 126 km northwest of Ieodo, moved over the East Sea, and exited north of the KADIZ at around 9:33 a.m. Then, they joined four Russian military aircraft (two TU-95 bombers and two fighters) in the northern East Sea area and re-entered the northern East Sea KADIZ, exiting the KADIZ east of Dokdo at around 10:15 a.m.

The Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is an airspace established to prevent accidental collisions between aircraft and is not sovereign airspace under international law. However, most foreign military aircraft entering an ADIZ notify the relevant country of their flight plans in advance.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff also detected six Chinese and Russian military aircraft (four Chinese, two Russian) near the outer edge of the KADIZ at around 3:40 p.m. later that day. They added that there was no airspace violation.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "Before the entry into the KADIZ, air force fighter jets were deployed to carry out tactical measures in preparation for any accidental situations."

Russian military aircraft also entered the KADIZ over the East Sea northwest of Ulleungdo without notification on April 24. At that time, two Russian military aircraft stayed within the KADIZ for about 30 minutes, and the South Korean military responded by scrambling fighter jets after issuing prior warning broadcasts.

On the same day that the Russian military aircraft entered the KADIZ, North Korea test-fired one ICBM from Pyongyang Sunan International Airport at around 2:34 p.m.

Prior to North Korea's ICBM test launch, in March, one Chinese military aircraft entered the KADIZ near Ieodo for two minutes. This area overlaps with the Chinese Air Defense Identification Zone (CADIZ).