Japan has “very strongly objected” to the Russian government over a Russian patrol plane flying through Japanese airspace. Japan sent several fighter jets into the air, firing flares as a warning.
Such a Russian flight in Japanese airspace is not common. Japanese media also report that the reaction of the Japanese air force is exceptional. Japanese diplomats have told the Russian government that this must not happen again.
“We confirmed today that a Russian Il-38 patrol aircraft violated our airspace over our territorial waters north of Rebun Island, Hokkaido, three times,” Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said.
Kihara said it was the first airspace intrusion by a Russian aircraft since June 2019, when a Tu-95 bomber entered Japanese airspace in southern Okinawa and around the Izu Islands south of Tokyo, The Guardian reported .
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government would not say what the “intentions and purpose of this action were, but the Russian military has been very active around our country since the invasion of Ukraine.” Japan has supported Kyiv with money and equipment. It has also imposed sanctions against the Russians after the invasion.
