[AP/Yonhap News Photo]
Russia's strategic bombers briefly violated South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) on Wednesday, prompting the country's fighter jets to scramble to a nearby area.
"As the Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ in formation yesterday morning, a squadron of our Air Force jets made an emergency sorties," said the official who requested anonymity on Thursday.
The Russian planes, however, did not intrude into South Korea's aerospace, he added. They are Tupolev Tu-95s, known to be 46.2 meters long and 50.1 meters wide, a source said.
Russia does not acknowledge the air defense identification zones of neighboring countries. Sometimes, its warplanes enter the zones which are a sort of defense-purpose concept neither stipulated in any state-to-state treaty nor regulated by any international body.
The KADIZ extends beyond its territory for more time to respond to possible hostile aircraft. The nation's armed forces are pushing for the establishment of a relevant hotline with Russia to avoid a possible conflict. Russia's defense ministry announced Thursday that its strategic bombers have made "scheduled flights over the neutral waters" of the Pacific Ocean and several other seas.
(Yonhap)
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