Japan says it was Tu-95 bomber that violated its air space

Japan says it was Tu-95 bomber that violated its air space

TOKYO, February 9 (Itar-Tass) – The Japanese Defence Ministry says that the plane that was detected in the Japanese air space was a Russian strategic bomber Tu-95.

According to the ministry, the aircraft for three minutes was in Japan’s air zone over the Pacific rocks of Sofu, 650 kilometres south of Tokyo.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry in this connection expressed a strong protest and demanded to prevent recurrence of such incidents. The protest note was handed over to the Russian Embassy.

According to the Japanese Defence Ministry, a Russian bomber flew in the Japanese air space for three minutes on Saturday morning at about 07:30 (01:30 Moscow time). The ministry said the bomber flew southward from the Sea of Okhotsk toward the Pacific Ocean. Near the northern part of the Ogasawara islands, it changed its course and violated the air border over the Sofu-Iwa rocks in the southern part of the Izu Islands.

After that, as Japanese sources said, the plane headed for the north, supposedly, to return to Russia along the same route across the Sea of Okhotsk.

Twenty four warplanes — F-15 fighters and AWACS detection aircraft were scrambled from the Japanese air bases of Hyakuri and Hamamatsu to intercept the plane.

Russia will consider the protest expressed by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, a diplomat at the Russian Embassy told Itar-Tass. “We’ll consider it and decide how to respond to it,” the diplomat said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Air Force has already stated that Russian planes did not violate the Japanese air space.

Japan the last time accused Russia of air space violation in January 2006. That time, a Russian An-27 border guard plane pursued a suspected trespasser that finally escaped to Japanese waters. Russia in that case admitted the fact of violation. The plane during 26 minutes for several times got into the neighboring space near Rebun Island in the Sea of Japan not far from Hokkaido. After the Russian side gave explanations, Japan officially stated that the incident circumstances were understood on the whole.(Itar-Tass)

Today In Asia : Last Update : 17:35:25 9 February 2008 (GMT+7:00)

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