Russia Breaches Japanese Airspace 3 Times in a Day, Japan Fires Warning Flares for the First Time

On September 23, Russian military patrol planes violated Japanese airspace three times over Rebun Island, located North of Hokkaido.

This information was confirmed by Japan’s Chief Secretary of the Government, as reported by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

In response, the Japanese Air Force deployed fighter jets and issued warnings to the Russian aircraft by launching flares.

Notably, this marks the first occasion on which Japan has utilized flares as a warning against an airspace violation, according to the publication.

Additionally, Tokyo has formally issued an “extremely strict protest” to Moscow regarding the incident, as reported by Kyodo News.

Earlier, on September 13, Japan scrambled fighter jets after Russian military aircraft circled the archipelago for the first time in five years.