South Korea scrambles jets after Russian military planes enter air defence zone

South Korea scrambled fighter jets on August 26, 2026, after multiple Russian military aircraft entered its air defense identification zone over the East Sea. The incident, which did not violate South Korean sovereign airspace, marks the second such incursion in weeks. Tensions remain high as South Korea has joined Western sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war, while Moscow continues to strengthen its ties with North Korea.

Russian aircraft incursion

• ▪Multiple Russian military aircraft entered and subsequently left South Korea's air defense identification zone over the East Sea on August 26, 2026.
• ▪The August 26, 2026 incident marked the second incursion of Russian military aircraft into South Korea's air defense identification zone within a few weeks.
• ▪The Russian military aircraft that entered South Korea's air defense identification zone on August 26, 2026, did not violate South Korean sovereign airspace.

South Korea fighter jet scramble

• ▪South Korea's military detected the Russian aircraft before they entered the air defense identification zone on August 26, 2026, and deployed Air Force fighter jets to prepare for any contingency.
• ▪South Korea's defense ministry did not provide specific details regarding the number or types of Russian aircraft involved in the August 26, 2026 incursion.

Deteriorating Russia-South Korea relations

• ▪Relations between South Korea and Russia have deteriorated since South Korea joined Western sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
• ▪Relations between South Korea and Russia have worsened as Moscow has built stronger diplomatic and military ties with North Korea.

China-Russia joint air patrols

• ▪In late June 2026, more than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered South Korea's air defense identification zone.
• ▪China's defense ministry stated that the late June 2026 flight was a strategic air patrol over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the western Pacific Ocean.
• ▪Russia's defense ministry characterized the late June 2026 joint patrol as normal military cooperation that was not directed against third countries.
• ▪South Korea lodged formal protests with Beijing and Moscow following the late June 2026 joint air patrol, demanding measures to prevent a recurrence.

Air defence identification zones

• ▪Military aircraft are generally expected to notify the relevant country before entering its air defense identification zone, though no legal obligation exists.
• ▪An air defense identification zone is not sovereign airspace but a security buffer area where countries require foreign aircraft to identify themselves.

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