China, Russia jets enter South Korea KADIZ; Seoul
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- South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it scrambled Air Force fighter jets after detecting more than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entering the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) over the East Sea and the South Sea on June 27.
- The Chinese and Russian aircraft did not violate South Korean airspace; Beijing's defence ministry described the mission as a "strategic air patrol" over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the western Pacific aimed at "jointly upholding regional peace and stability."
- Russia's defence ministry said the flight was part of its 2026 military cooperation plan, "not directed against third countries," and conducted "in strict accordance with international law," posting the statement on the state-backed platform Max.
- China's statement notably did not specifically mention South Korea or its air defence zone — a contrast with Russia's statement, which at least addressed third-party concerns.
- South Korea and Japan reacted furiously when nine Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered KADIZ in December 2025 — the last such incident — prompting Seoul to lodge protests with Beijing and Moscow and Tokyo to express "serious concern."
Why it matters: This is the second joint China-Russia air patrol to penetrate South Korea's KADIZ in roughly six months, signaling a sustained pattern of coordinated military activity near Northeast Asia. Beijing and Moscow framed the June 27 flight as routine cooperation under a 2026 plan, but South Korea's fighter scramble and the prior December incident — which drew formal protests from Seoul and 'serious concern' from Tokyo — show both US allies read it as a direct security challenge.
