Japan fires a warning shot for the first time due to a Russian military aircraft.

Today, September 23, a Russian military aircraft violated Japanese airspace three times. This prompted a fighter jet to fire a warning shot for the first Time in history. Kyodo News reports.

The Russian patrol aircraft Il-38 flew over the waters of the Sea of Japan three times north of Rebun Island in Hokkaido Prefecture from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, according to the Ministry of Defense.

"The violation of our country's airspace by a Russian military patrol aircraft is extremely regrettable," said Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, adding that the government "strongly" urges Russia to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.

Previously, Japan also scrambled fighter jets after Russian military aircraft circled the archipelago for the first time in five years. According to a statement by the Ministry of Defense of Japan, from morning until noon on September 12, two Russian Tu-142 aircraft flew from the sea between Japan and South Korea towards Okinawa Prefecture.