Several Russian military aircraft entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) on Tuesday before exiting the area, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The aircraft were flying northwest over the East Sea when they entered the KADIZ near Ulleung Island and Dokdo, South Korea’s easternmost islets, according to military officials.
No violation of South Korean airspace was reported.
“Our military detected the Russian military aircraft before they entered the KADIZ and deployed Air Force fighter jets to take tactical measures in preparation for any contingencies,” the JCS said.
An air defense identification zone is an area established beyond a country’s territorial airspace to allow military authorities to identify and monitor aircraft approaching its territory. Unlike sovereign airspace, entering an ADIZ does not in itself constitute a violation of a country’s territory.
South Korea requires aircraft entering the KADIZ to file flight plans, maintain communications with relevant authorities and report their positions.
Russia, however, has long rejected South Korea’s authority over the KADIZ, arguing that such zones have no explicit basis in international law.
The Russian Defense Ministry made its position explicit in 2019, saying that air defense identification zones are “not envisioned by international rules” and therefore are not recognized by Russia. Moscow said at the time that it had repeatedly conveyed that position to Seoul through various channels.
Russia has consequently maintained that its military aircraft are entitled to fly through portions of the KADIZ that lie over international waters without seeking South Korean authorization, as long as they do not enter South Korea’s sovereign airspace.
That position has repeatedly put Moscow at odds with Seoul, which treats unannounced entries by foreign military aircraft as a potential security risk and routinely scrambles fighters to identify and monitor them.
The latest incident follows a similar entry on June 27, when nearly 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered the KADIZ over the East and South seas during joint air drills between the two countries.
AJP Takeaways
· South Korea scrambled fighter jets after Russian military aircraft entered the KADIZ over the East Sea.
· Russia does not recognize South Korea’s authority over the KADIZ, citing international law.
· The incident follows a June entry by Chinese and Russian military aircraft during joint air drills.
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