Russia and China conducted a joint bomber flight over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea on Friday, causing Japan and South Korea to launch fighter aircraft in response. The joint bomber flight was the first time China deployed nuclear weapons capable bombers in the joint flight.

South Korea scrambled fighter jets on Friday after spotting Chinese and Russian military aircraft entering its air defence identification zone during a joint aerial patrol over the Sea of Japan. It was the ninth joint strategic aerial patrol between the two militaries since 2019,