Japan Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi has confirmed his country scrambled jets today after Russian and Chinese warplanes neared its airspace. Tokyo is currently hosting a Quad summit featuring leaders of the US, Australia and India, reports Reuters.
Kishi told a news conference that was broadcast online that Tokyo has conveyed "grave concerns" to both Russia and China through diplomatic channels following the incident. He claimed the warplanes were sent up as a likely provocation by both Beijing and Moscow on a day when US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australia's newly elected leader, Anthony Albanese, were meeting.
"We believe the fact that this action was taken during the Quad summit makes it more provocative than in the past," Kishi said, adding it was the fourth such incident since November.
He claimed two Chinese warplanes flew over the Sea of Japan from the East China Sea before being joined by two Russian warplanes for a flight together toward the East China Sea. Later, the two Chinese warplanes were replaced by another pair believed to be Chinese, which then flew with the Russians on a long flight toward the Pacific Ocean, he said.
A Russian reconnaissance plane also flew over the open sea from the northern island of Hokkaido to the Noto peninsula on Japan's main island, he said. None of the aircraft entered into Japan's airspace.
Russia and China both confirmed they conducted a joint patrol. Russia's defence ministry said the patrol lasted 13 hours over the Japanese and East China seas. The exercise was part of an "annual military cooperation plan", China's defence ministry said.
South Korea also scrambled fighters today after at least four Chinese and four Russian warplanes entered its air defence zone.
