Alwaght- Russian nuclear-capable bombers have flown close the Korean Peninsula where the United States in conducting provocative war games amid mounting tensions with North Korea.
The Russian Defense Ministry's press service issued a statement on Thursday stating that the country’s Tu-95MS strategic bombers have carried out routine flights over international waters of the Sea of Japan, Yellow and East China seas.
The long-range planes were accompanied by a Su-35S fighter of the Eastern Military District and A-50 Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft of military-transport aviation.
During the flight, Tu-95MS crews performed aerial refueling, according to the ministry.
The ministry noted that at certain stages of the route, the Russian strategic bombers were accompanied by aircraft of the Korean Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
Regular patrols
Russia’s military jets regularly carry out patrol flights over the neutral waters of the Arctic region, Atlantic Ocean, Black Sea and Pacific Ocean, the ministry said. All such flights are carried out in strict accordance with the international law regarding the use of neutral waters airspace, without violating borders of other states.
The nuclear-capable strategic bombers carried out their mission around the Korean Peninsula at the same time as the US and South Korea are conducting joint war-games that have infuriated Pyongyang.
South Korea Slams Flight
Meanwhile, South Korea announced the Russians violated the country’s air defense identification zone, known as KADIZ, but did not enter the country's airspace on Wednesday.
“As the Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ in formation yesterday morning, a squadron of our Air Force jets made an emergency sorties," an official speaking on conditions of anonymity told the South Korean news agency Yonhap on Thursday.
The US and South Korea began the long-planned joint military exercises on Monday, heightening tensions with Pyongyang which termed the drills a "reckless" step towards nuclear conflict.
Russia, which shares a border with North Korea, has repeatedly voiced concerns about rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula caused by Pyongyang's nuclear missile program, and has also complained about possible plans by Japan to deploy a US anti-missile system on its soil.
Russia opposes US-South Korea war games
Moscow has meanwhile expressed opposition to the US-South Korea war games in the tensed Korean Peninsula.
"The US and South Korea holding yet more large-scale military and naval exercises does not help reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula," Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, told a news briefing in Moscow.
"We urge all sides to exercise maximum caution. Given the arms build-up in the region, any rash move or even an unintended incident could spark a military conflict."
Russia warns over US anti-missile system deployment in Japan
Zakharova also complained about possible plans by Japan to deploy the US Aegis Ashore anti-missile system on its soil.
She said if Tokyo did go ahead and opt to deploy such a system it would be disproportional to the North Korean missile threat and could upset wider strategic stability in the region.
"It is obvious to us that the decision to purchase and deploy the new [Aegis Ashore] systems, if it is taken, should be considered as disproportionate to real missile threats in the region. It [the decision] is capable of undermining the stability in the North Pacific Ocean, given the eventual incorporation of this system into the military infrastructure of the Asian segment of the global US missile defense system," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman concluded.
The current Korean Peninsula tensions have been triggered by increased provocations by the US which includes military drills and deployment of warships and submarines in the region.
North insists that developing its military defenses including nuclear weapons is important to counter incessant provocations by the US including a possible nuclear aggression.
