Russian, Chinese Warplanes Enter South Korean Air Defense Zone

South Korean fighter jets scrambled as 11 Russian and Chinese military aircraft entered South Korea’s air defense identification zone on Friday for more than four hours, according to the South Korean military.
The air defense identification zone is different from the nation’s airspace, which the military aircraft did not breach. Russia and China do not recognize South Korea’s defense zone as South Korean territory. The two countries regularly hold joint air drills.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the Russian and Chinese aircraft entered the area in sequence and exited without incident.
South Korea’s military had identified the aircraft before they entered the zone and deployed air force jets, which conducted tactical maneuvers in response, it said.
The United States has already sanctioned many Chinese entities over supplying and financing Russian entities in the war against Ukraine, effectively allowing Russia to evade international sanctions.
Paparo said that China “has rebuilt, helped to rebuild Russia’s war machine, with 90 percent of its semiconductors and 70 percent of the machine tools that have rebuilt that war machine.”
Russia has also secured support from North Korea, with the United States confirming that 10,000 North Korean troops had reached Kursk. The United States said on Nov. 18 that this was an escalation in the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
“That is a major escalation by Russia bringing in an Asian military to a conflict inside Europe.”
Miller said the United States will respond firmly.
International officials have also warned that Russia is helping North Korea with its own military ambitions.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Nov. 7 that in return for the military support, Russia is likely to provide North Korea with its latest technological innovations, posing risks not only to the U.S. mainland and continental Europe but also to NATO partners in the Indo-Pacific, such as Japan and South Korea.