Japan says intercepts Russian aircraft over Hokkaido
Japan has scrambled four fighter jets to intercept an intruding foreign aircraft, apparently a Russian one, the country’s Defense Ministry says.
The plane crossed into Japanese airspace off the Nemuro Peninsula in Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, on Tuesday, and flew there for about 16 seconds, the ministry said, adding that the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force scrambled four F-15 fighters, but they were unable to approach the aircraft and identify it, the Japanese Jiji Press reported.
The ministry went on to say that it believed that the plane, which flew in the Japanese airspace at 14:04 local time (5:04 GMT), was Russian based on analyzing its contrails.
It is the first air intrusion since August 2013 by Russian military aircraft, after two Tu-95 Russian strategic bombers were intercepted off Okinoshima Island in southwestern Japan, the ministry added.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry has lodged a protest with Russia, the Jiji report added.
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