Japanese fighter jets fired warnings flares against a Russian military aircraft that Tokyo said repeatedly entered the country’s territorial airspace, in an unprecedented move against a foreign plane.

Japanese jet fighters fired warning flares at a Russian military reconnaissance plane that violated Japan’s airspace, the first time Tokyo has taken such an aggressive stance against incursions of its airspace.

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