Japan Fighter Jets Fire Flares as Russian Aircraft Violates Airspace

Japan has confirmed that a Russian patrol aircraft violated its airspace three times, prompting the Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets to fire flares for the first time. A Russian IL-38 patrol aircraft flew over Japan’s territorial waters near Rebun Island, off the northernmost of Hokkaido, between 1 p.m. and 3:43 p.m. local time on Monday, according to the Japanese defense ministry. The first incursion occurred between 1:03 p.m. and 1:04 p.m. local time, followed by the second at around 3:31 p.m., and the third from 3:42 p.m. to 3.43 p.m. Japan responded by scrambling fighter jets. Japan’s F-15 and F-35 fighter jets fired flares after the Russian aircraft ignored their warnings to leave the airspace, the ministry said, without specifying the number of jets deployed....