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Exclusive image of South Korean and Russian military jets over Dokdo earlier today (not) 
But seriously, warning shots is an escalation from the usual KADIZ incursions that South Korea complains about. uk.reuters.com/article/uk-sou…
The South Korean military says a single Russian aircraft entered territorial airspace over Dokdo twice, and each time faced warning shot(s). "The South Korean military took tactical action including dropping flares and firing a warning shot."
The Russian aircraft was apparently one of 3 Russian and 2 Chinese military aircraft operating together in the area, per South Korea's MND. Moscow and Beijing have not yet commented
The Russian aircraft was a bomber, while South Korea scrambled F-16s and F-15s m-en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN201907…?
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff now say the Russian aircraft involved was an A-50, an airborne early warning and control aircraft, according to Yonhap (Photo of the type via Wikipedia)
The South Korean interceptors fired around 360 warning shots during their two encounters with the Russian aircraft, South Korea's JCS says according to Yonhap
It was two Chinese H-6 bombers, two Russian TU-95 bombers and one A-50 early warning and control aircraft that violated the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) this morning, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says
When the Russian A-50 entered South Korean airspace near Dokdo, S. Korean fighter jets fired about 10 flares and about 80 machine gun rounds during the first violation, and 10 flares and about 280 machine gun rounds during the second violation, JCS says
Some of the other aircraft reported involved in the South Korea-Russia-China brouhaha today
South Korea says its jets fired their rounds about 1 kilometer ahead of the Russian A-50 reuters.com/article/us-sou…
NEW: First response from Moscow: Russia's Defense Ministry says Russian strategic bombers did not violate airspace of other countries. Says South Korean military planes carried out unprofessional maneuvers alongside Russian bombers - TASS
Via RIA: Russia's defense ministry says S. Korean military planes crossed the path of Russian strategic bombers, creating threat to their security. Says this is not the first time that South Korean pilots have tried to interfere with Russian military flights over neutral waters
And because why not: Kyodo now reports that Japan is lodging protests to both South Korea and Russia for the incident. Japan also claims Dokdo, which it calls Takeshima.
Japan used diplomatic channels to scold South Korea and Russia over the airspace incident, saying, "We cannot accept these kinds of actions in our territory," the Kyodo news agency reported.
Now China responds: Foreign ministry says South Korea air defence zone is not territorial airspace, all countries enjoy freedom of movement there reuters.com/article/us-sou…
More from Japan's Yoshihide Suga: "In light of Japan's stance regarding sovereignty over Takeshima, the South Korean military aircraft's having carried out warning shots is totally unacceptable and extremely regrettable."
Something odd in the Russia MoD statement on today's airspace incident: It never mentions the A-50 AWACS that S.Korea says violated its airspace, and Russia specifically denies there was any "warning fire" from South Korean fighters reuters.com/article/us-sou…
Japan's military has now released a statement with charts that appear to corroborate the South Korean narrative, at least the presence of an A-50 which Japan says flew around Dokdo/Takeshima passing through its airspace twice. Japan says it scrambled its own fighters.
Latest: Russia says the mission that triggered the incident was its first long-range joint air patrol in the Asia-Pacific region with China reuters.com/article/us-sou…
Overnight the Pentagon responded to the air space dispute: “The United States strongly supports our ROK and Japanese allies and their responses to air space incursions by Chinese and Russian aircraft,” spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn said. reuters.com/article/us-sou…
“The (Defense Department) is in close coordination with our ROK and Japanese allies about these events, and will continue to monitor activities as they follow up with their Russian and Chinese counterparts in diplomatic channels,” Eastburn said.
