TOKYO: Japan has lodged a “very serious protest” to Moscow following three incursions by a Russian patrol plane into its airspace, marking the first confirmed violation since 2019, according to Defense Minister Minoru Kihara.
The Japanese military responded by scrambling fighter jets and issuing radio and flare warnings. “We confirmed today that a Russian Il-38 patrol aircraft violated our airspace over our territorial waters north of Rebun Island, Hokkaido, on three occasions,” Kihara stated to reporters.
He described the airspace violation as “extremely regrettable” and emphasized that Japan lodged a serious protest with the Russian government through diplomatic channels, urging them to prevent future incidents.
Japan has aligned itself with Western nations regarding the situation in Ukraine, providing financial and material support to Kyiv while imposing sanctions on Russian individuals and organizations following Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor.
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