Japan and South Korea scramble fighters as Chinese-Russian bombers patrol

On June 28, 2026, Japan and South Korea scrambled fighter jets in response to a joint Chinese-Russian bomber patrol over the western Pacific. Japan's defence ministry tracked two separate flights involving Chinese H-6 bombers and Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers, accompanied by Chinese J-16 fighter jets, Russian Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft, and a Russian Su-30 fighter. A flight map showed some aircraft transiting the Miyako Strait, a strategic waterway between Okinawa and the Miyako Islands that connects the East China Sea to the west Pacific. This was the 11th such patrol since 2019 but the first in 2025 or 2026, according to the People's Liberation Army Air Force, which stated the operation demonstrated the two countries' resolve and ability to safeguard regional peace and stability.

South Korea also reacted, scrambling fighters after more than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered its air defense identification zone (ADIZ), though Yonhap News Agency reported the aircraft did not violate South Korean airspace. The patrols—conducted over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea, and western Pacific—underscore the growing frequency of joint military operations between China and Russia near Japan and South Korea. Tensions in the region remain high, with both nations continuing to monitor and respond to such incursions, which test response times and strategic coordination among allied forces.