Japan's defense minister said the use of flares was a legitimate response to airspace violation and "we plan to use it without hesitation."

Russian patrol aircraft were intercepted by Japanese fighter jets after Moscow's planes violated the Western-ally's airspace, Tokyo has said.

Japanese fighter jets fired warning flares at a Russian reconnaissance plane after it repeatedly breached the neighbouring country’s airspace, Tokyo said, as tensions rise over Moscow’s increasing military cooperation with China in the region.

Japan scrambled fighter jets after a Russian Il-38 plane entered Japanese airspace on Sept. 23. Japan used flares after the Russian plane ignored earlier warnings, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said.

The infringements were the first by Russia in five years, according to the Japanese defense ministry. A fighter fired a warning flare in response.

On Monday, Japan’s air force scrambled F-15 and F-35 jet fighters in response to the first airspace violation, and the jets began firing flares during the third one-minute incursion by Russia around 3:42pm.

Japanese warplanes used flares to warn a Russian reconnaissance aircraft that breached airspace above Rebun Island three times during a joint Chinese-Russian naval exercise. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara condemned the violation,

Japanese military planes used flares to warn a Russian reconnaissance aircraft that trespassed and entered Japan’s airspace

After a Russian military patrol aircraft violated Japanese airspace, Japan's Self-Defense Force dispatched an aircraft that, for the first time, fired flares in 'an anti-airspace violation action.'