South Korea claims Chinese and Russian warplanes entered its air defense zone (Amnesty International image, for representational purposes only)
Seoul said South Korea deployed fighter jets on Saturday after more than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered the air defense identification zone (ADIZ), prompting the military to take precautionary measures amid escalating regional tensions.Agence France-Presse quoted the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul as saying, “The South Korean army detected the Chinese and Russian planes before they entered the region and deployed Air Force fighter planes in preparation for any emergency.”Neither China nor Russia has commented on the incident yet.The latest development follows a similar incident in December 2025, when nine Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered the KADIZ, sparking sharp protests from both South Korea and Japan. Following this incident, the South Korean Defense Ministry lodged formal protests with Beijing and Moscow, while Japan expressed “grave concern” about the impact on regional security. China and Russia later said those flights were part of a joint strategic air patrol conducted over the East Sea and the western Pacific Ocean. Saturday’s operation comes amid ongoing military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow, which have carried out several joint air and sea patrols in the region in recent years.