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South Korea says fired warning shots at intruding Russian warplane
SEOUL, July 23, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – South Korean fighter jets fired nearly
400 warning shots at a Russian military aircraft on Tuesday after it violated
the country’s airspace, with Seoul warning of a far stronger reaction if a
breach reoccurs.
The Russian A-50 early warning and control aircraft breached South Korean
airspace twice off its east coast, the defence ministry official said,
forcing the air force to scramble fighters.
Moscow denied any of its military aircraft had violated South Korean
airspace, saying its planes had carried out planned drills over international
waters.
But Seoul said a warplane entered South Korean airspace near the disputed
Dokdo islets — which are also claimed by Japan — the first such violation
since Korean War hostilities ended in 1953.
National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong warned of serious consequences if
such a violation happened again in a message to the secretary of the Security
Council of Russia, South Korea’s presidential Blue House spokeswoman said.
“We are assessing this incident in a very grave manner and will take a
much tougher measure if it happens again,” Chung said, according to the Blue
House spokeswoman.
“I request Russia’s Security Council to assess the situation and take
necessary measures.”
Moscow insisted nothing untoward had happened.
“Two Tu-95 strategic bombers of Russia’s aerospace forces carried out a
planned flight in the airspace above the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan,”
the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
South Korean officials said a Russian plane first entered South Korean
airspace just after 9:00 am (0000 GMT) and lasted three minutes.
It returned half an hour later, staying in South Korean airspace for four
minutes, the military said.
South Korea responded by sending F-15K and KF-16 fighters, which first
issued warnings and fired flares. They fired 80 warning shots at the plane
during the first breach, and 280 rounds during the second, a military
official told AFP.
At one point, the South Korean and Russian warplanes were just one
kilometre apart, the official added.
The Russian plane “didn’t appear to have hostile intention” during the
manuevers, the military official said, as it flew “at constant speed and
direction”.
He added that more investigation is required to determine the motives for
the breaches.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1342 hrs