South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced today that Chinese and Russian military aircraft successively entered and exited the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the country's eastern and southern waters.

The JCS stated it detected the Russian and Chinese aircraft before they entered the South Korean ADIZ, deploying fighter jets to "be ready to respond to any situation."

The statement did not detail the monitoring operation, only confirming that the Russian-Chinese aircraft did not violate South Korean airspace.

A Russian Tu-95MS bomber (top) and Chinese J-16 fighter jet on a joint patrol in 2022. *Chinese Ministry of National Defense*

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense confirmed that Beijing and Moscow conducted a "joint strategic air patrol" in the Sea of Japan, East China Sea, and Western Pacific Ocean.

Chinese officials described the operation as "demonstrating their determination and ability to jointly maintain peace and stability in the region," without mentioning the South Korean ADIZ.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the information.

An ADIZ is not sovereign airspace but an area of sky unilaterally designated by a nation, requiring all aircraft entering it to report and be subject to that nation's control. The purpose of an ADIZ is to provide an early warning system to help detect potential incursions into national airspace.

Aircraft transiting a nation's ADIZ must comply with general requirements: submitting flight plans in advance, establishing two-way communication with the controlling nation, reporting their position, and adhering to designated flight corridors.

If foreign aircraft do not comply while operating within an ADIZ, the host nation may deploy fighter jets to intervene, demand identification, or compel them to leave the area. Since an ADIZ is not sovereign airspace, the host nation is not permitted to shoot down aircraft operating within it.

Air defense identification zones in Northeast Asia. *Stratfor*

This is not the first time Russian and Chinese military aircraft have jointly entered the South Korean ADIZ. In 12/2025, South Korea and Japan strongly reacted when 9 Russian-Chinese military aircraft conducted a similar "joint patrol."

The South Korean Ministry of National Defense subsequently sent protest notes to Russia and China, while Japan expressed "serious concern" regarding national security.

Russia and China asserted that the flights were part of joint security operations in the Sea of Japan and the Western Pacific Ocean.

Thanh Danh (according to AFP)