A joint air patrol by Russia and China in the Asia-Pacific region drew warning shots from South Korea on Tuesday. The patrol was carried out by two Russian and two Chinese bombers together with a Russian early warning plane. It was the first mission of its kind carried out by Russia and China together.
According to Russia “the joint patrol was carried out with the aim of deepening Russian-Chinese relations within our all-encompassing partnership, of further increasing cooperation between our armed forces, and of perfecting their capabilities to carry out joint actions and of strengthening global strategic security.”
South Korea and Japan both scrambled jets to intercept the patrol, claiming that it violated their airspaces. In addition, South Korean warplanes fired warning shots when the Russian early warning plane allegedly entered the country’s airspace.
Read more: First Russian-Chinese air patrol in Asia-Pacific draws shots from South Korea
