Russian military aircraft enter South Korean air defence zone

Russian military aircraft entered South Korea's air defence identification zone on Tuesday, prompting Seoul to scramble fighter jets in response, according to a statement from the country's defence ministry. The Russian planes did not breach South Korean airspace proper, officials clarified, but their presence in the ADIZ—an area extending beyond territorial limits where countries typically seek to monitor and identify aircraft—triggered immediate action by Seoul's air force. The ministry did not specify the type of Russian aircraft involved or the duration of their incursion into the zone. South Korea's military remained on heightened alert following the incident as tensions persist in the region amid Russia's ongoing military operations in Ukraine and deepening security concerns across Northeast Asia. The incident underscores growing strategic competition in airspace near the Korean Peninsula, where Russian and Chinese military activities have drawn increasing scrutiny from Seoul and its allies.