Russian Bombers Intrusion Into Japanese Airspace Denied

Russian Bombers Intrusion Into Japanese Airspace Denied

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Japan protested to Russia on Wednesday, saying that several Russian bombers twice briefly intruded into its airspace in the first such incident since 1995.

Russia said its planes were training near Japan, but strongly denied they had violated Japanese airspace.

"After the statements from the Japanese side we analyzed all our flights once again," Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev told journalists in Moscow. "There were no violations of Japanese airspace."

Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky, the Russian air force spokesman, said by telephone that Moscow "categorically denied" there had been any intrusion into Japanese airspace.

"No Russian military aircraft violated the airspace of any neighboring state," he said.