Oh, Those Wacky Russians…

by Robert Koehler on February 10, 2008

Japan has lodged a protest against Moscow, accusing a Russian Tu-95 bomber of violating Japanese airspace south of Tokyo.

The Japanese responded to the alleged incursion by scrambling 24 planes, including F-15s and an E-767 AWACS.

The Russians, meanwhile, deny that their planes violated Japanese airspace.

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Barney February 10, 2008 at 3:46 pm

This is clearly another move on the chessboard by Russia to assert its power against the US-UK-Japan axis……there have been repeated incursions into British and Danish airspace over recetn months by Russia. That wily KGB President of ZRussia does not allow these incidents to occur by accident.

2 MigukNamja February 10, 2008 at 5:57 pm

Those TU-95 bombers are not only huge, but also incredibly loud due to their counter-rotating propellers.

Indeed, I wonder if it flew low enough on purpose for Japanese people to hear it from the ground.

3 slim February 10, 2008 at 10:32 pm

HOW MUCH of the dreaded old Soviet Union is Putin trying to bring back?

4 R. Elgin February 11, 2008 at 12:07 am

Unless they start something by dropping Russian manga on Japan, perhaps it is not very sensitive an issue.

The Japanese probably needed something to do anyhow.

5 Uri Onara February 11, 2008 at 12:34 am

They are probably testing Japan’s defenses. The plane only got near a small island (Sōfugan) over 500 km SE of Honshu.

Previous post:

Next post: