A Russian An-26 airplane entered Japan's airspace without authorization in the area of the Shiretoko Peninsula on the Hokkaido island, the Japanese Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
Japanese media reported earlier in the day that this appeared to be a civilian airplane.
The ministry said the plane entered Japan's airspace twice within 30 minutes in the early hours of Sunday.
The ministry's press release includes a photo of the plane that was taken off a Japanese fighter which scrambled to escort the Russian aircraft out of the Japanese airspace.
Tokyo also sent a request to Russia through diplomatic channels to prevent such incidents in the future. (ANI/Sputnik)
( With inputs from ANI )
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