For the first time in 66 years: Japanese fighters have released missiles on Russian IL-38
According to The Wall Street Journal, this incident was the first since 1958 the case of the use of warning volley on the part of Japan's self -defense forces. According to the Secretary General of the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan, Esimasa Hayasi, the Russian patrol plane Il-38 invaded Japan airspace three times from 13:00 to 16:00 local time, flying over the waters of the Island of Child in the north of the Japanese archipelago.
Hayasi added that Japan had sent Russia a "extremely decisive protest" in connection with borders. According to the publication, the Japanese Air Force transferred the warning to the Russian aircraft twice demanding to leave the country's airspace, but warning missiles were released only after the third invasion. The journalists of the publication were asked for the Russian Ministry of Defense to comment on the situation, but the department did not respond to the request.
Observants say that in recent years Russian military aircraft are increasingly operating near Japan. In this case, the incident occurred against the background of the second stage of joint Russian-Chinese exercises "North-Interaction 2024", in which the military ships of the Russian Federation and the People's Liberation Army of China (NVAK) were maneuvering in the Okhotsk and Japanese seas, as well as in the airspace above them .
"Conducted simultaneously with the joint exercises of the coastal protection and patrolling of China and Russia, military maneuvers of China and Russia again emphasized a high level of cooperation in the field of security and defense between the two countries, experts said," the Chinese edition of Global Times said. According to the Japanese government, Russian aircraft more often violate Japan's airspace. Moreover, out of 48, 44 violations were made by the USSR.