❗️Japanese jet fighters fired warning flares at a russian military reconnaissance plane that violated Japan’s airspace – The Wall Street Journal

Japanese fighter jets used infrared countermeasures to intercept a russian Il-38 aircraft.

"A russian Il-38 patrol aircraft violated our airspace over territorial waters north of Rebun Island, Hokkaido, three times," Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said.

According to Japanese authorities, the russian aircraft stayed in Japanese airspace for about one minute each time. In response, F-35 fighter jets were raised on alert and used infrared countermeasures several times. Kihara noted that this is the first time Japan's Defense Forces have resorted to such measures.

The violation of Japan's airspace by the russian aircraft occurred against the backdrop of joint exercises between the naval forces of Russia and China, which took place in the Sea of Japan on Sept. 21-22. Kihara also emphasized that it was "the first documented incursion of a russian aircraft into our airspace since June 2019," when a Tu-95 bomber crossed the country's border south of Okinawa and near the Izu Islands, south of Tokyo. Japan protested to russia through diplomatic channels over the incident.

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