03:50, 23 JUL 2019Updated
04:32, 23 JUL 2019
The Ministry of National Defence in Seoul said it was the first time a Russian military aircraft had violated South Korean airspace

South Korea has fired warning shots at a Russian military jet that entered its airspace.

The Ministry of National Defence in Seoul said it was the first time a Russian military aircraft had violated South Korean airspace.

South Korean fighter jets were scrambled and fired warning shots in response to the intrusion.

The Russian bomber reportedly entered South Korean airspace above the East Sea, near the Dokdo islands, twice this morning.



The warplane was one of three Russian and two Chinese aircraft that violated the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ), according to Reuters.

The South Korean government would lodge official complaints about the violations with China and Russia, the defense ministry in Seoul said.

“The South Korean military took tactical action including dropping flares and firing a warning shot,” a defense ministry statement said.

Russia has previously violated the KADIZ, although it has never before intruded the country's airspace.

The plane left the area after the first warning shot, however it returned 20 minutes later, prompting the South Koreans to open fire again.

The last case of a Russian jet unlawfully entering the KADIZ was reportedly on June 20, when two planes stayed in the area for around 30 minutes.

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https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-...rning-18667386