South Korea claims its fighter planes fired hundreds of warning shots at Russian aircraft today after they violated its airspace in an unprecedented clash.
Seoul said F-15 and F-16 fighters were scrambled in the early hours to intercept a Russian A-50 spy plane, two TU-95 bombers and two H-6 Chinese bombers over a set of disputed islands in the Sea of Japan.
The fighters fired 360 warning shots at the Russian aircraft after they tried to contact the pilots 30 times but received no response, Seoul claimed.
But Russia angrily denied the reports - saying that it had not violated South Korean airspace, that Seoul's jets had fired flares and not bullets, and that no attempt to contact its pilots was made.
South Korea said that a Russian A-50 spy plane (pictured today during the incident) violated its airspace twice on Tuesday along with two TU-95 bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers
Seoul scrambled F-15 and F-16 fighters which intercepted the Russian and Chinese bombers (Chinese bomber, file image) and fired a total of 360 warning shots
China also denied that its aircraft had violated anyone's airspace, describing South Korea as a 'friendly neighbour'.
The incident happened over a set of islands in the Sea of Japan which are claimed by both South Korea and Japan. South Koreans know them as Dokdo, while in Japan they are called Takeshima.
Korea said the Russian and Chinese aircraft had violated its Air Defense Identification Zone, which it claims around the islands, which it said was the first violation of its airspace by a foreign power since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
Air Defense Identification Zones often extend outside a country's territorial airspace and are designed to give its air force time to respond to incoming aircraft.
A country can demand identification, location and control of an aeroplane's direction within the zone, but is not permitted to shoot down aircraft that violate it.
Seoul said that the Chinese bombers were the first to enter its identification zone at 6.44 am local time and then again at 7.49 am.
They then met up with the Russian TU-95 bombers and together the aircraft went back into the zone, where they remained for 24 minutes.
Separately, the Russian A-50 plane flew through the same zone at 9.09 am and then again at 9.33 am, remaining inside for only a matter of minutes each time.
The clash happened over an island chain in the Sea of Japan which is claimed by both South Korea - where they are called Dokdo - and Japan - where they are known as Takeshima
South Korea described the incident as the first violation of its airspace since the end of the Korean War in 1953, but Russia said Korean pilots had endangered their aircraft in neutral territory (file image, Korean F-15 fighters)
In response, South Korea deployed F-15F and KF-16 fighter jets and fired 360 warning shots - 80 during the first violation and 280 during the second.
The shots were fired using a 20mm weapon, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Russia said on Tuesday that it does not recognise Korean control around the islands, and said its aircraft were undertaking manoeuvres in neutral airspace.
Moscow said it conducted its first joint long-range air patrol with China in the Asia-Pacific region which was not aimed at any particular country.
Russia's defence ministry added: 'Korea conduced unprofessional manoeuvres by crossing the course of Russian strategic missile carriers, threatening their security.
'South Korean pilots did not contact the crews of Tu-95, the F-16 fired a round of flares and carried out a manoeuvre, moving away from Russian aircraft.
'This is not the first time the South Korean pilots have unsuccessfully tried to prevent Russian aircraft from flying over the neutral waters.
'If the Russian pilots felt there was a security threat, they would have responded.'
Japan said it also scrambled fighters to intercept the Russian spy plane, whilst tracking the Russian and Chinese bombers as they skirted Japanese airspace.
Japan regularly scrambles fighters to intercept Chinese and Russian aircraft that fly close to its territory, with 999 such intercepts in the twelve months that ended on March 31.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she was not clear about the situation but noted that the air defense identification zone is not territorial airspace and others are entitled to fly through it.
She took issue with a reporter's use of the word 'violation' to ask about China's reported activity in South Korea's air defense identification zone.
'I feel that given China and South Korea are friendly neighbours, you should be careful when using it, because we are not clear about the situation,' she said.
South Korea's presidential national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, told top Russian security official Nikolai Patrushev that South Korea views Russia's airspace violation 'very seriously' and will take 'much stronger' measures in future.
The dispute has echoes of China's claim of control around the artificial Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which America does not recognise.
Beijing has built runways, hangars, control towers, helipads and radar domes on the islands in the hopes of exerting control over one of the world's busiest shipping channels.
However, America - backed by a 2016 United Nations ruling - says that China has no legal claim over the islands, which are in international waters.
South Korea's top security adviser Chung Eui-yong (left with Kim Jong-Un) lodged a strong objection with Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of Russia on Tuesday
Its navy routinely conducts which it calls 'freedom of navigation' missions by sailing through the waters in a snub to China.
While South Korea and Russia have a history of clashes which dates back to when the Soviet Union supported North Korea in the Korean War, clashes between the two have been extremely rare since.
In 1983, a Soviet air force fighter jet fired an air-to-air missile at a South Korean passenger plane that strayed into Soviet territory, killing all 269 people on board.
Korean Air Lines Flight 007 had been bound for New York via Anchorage when it deviated from its planned route during a US reconnaissance mission.
Soviet planes intercepted the jet and, believing it to be a spy plane violating its airspace, shot it down.
Relations between Seoul and Moscow gradually improved, and they established diplomatic ties in 1990, a year before the breakup of the Soviet Union.
The two have generally good relations these days, and have tentatively agreed to a series of trade projects linking Asia with Europe by going through North Korea as relations between South and North have thawed.
President Moon Jae-in paid a State Visit to Russia in 2018 where he became the first South Korean leader to speak in Russia's parliament.
While there he signed an agreement to work towards a free trade area, and the establishment of a telephone link between their air forces.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry and Joint Chiefs of Staff said they had registered an official protest with both Russia and Beijing following the Tuesday incident.
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News Photo South Korean fighter jets 'fired warning shots at Russian aircraft'
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