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

In a rare move, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) scrambled F-15 and F-35 fighter jets from the Northern Air Defense Forces to intercept a Russian IL-38 patrol aircraft that violated Japanese airspace.

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.