Russian Warplane Violates Japanese Airspace over Japan-Claimed Isles

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Defense Ministry said Friday that an IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian military intruded into Japanese territorial airspace over northwestern Pacific islands controlled by Moscow and claimed by Tokyo the same day.

A fighter of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force was scrambled to respond to the situation.

The Russian aircraft, which came from the continent, flew to the Pacific Ocean via the Sea of Okhotsk and traveled south to areas off the northeastern Japan prefecture of Miyagi, which faces the Pacific, according to the ministry's Joint Staff.

It then flew to the Sea of Japan via the Sea of Okhotsk.

A ministry official said that Japan is currently in a situation where it is virtually unable to exercise jurisdiction over the disputed islands, adding that the territorial issue needs to be resolved through diplomatic negotiations.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]