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

Japanese fighter jets fired warning flares at a Russian reconnaissance plane after it repeatedly breached the neighbouring country’s airspace, Tokyo said, as tensions rise over Moscow’s increasing military cooperation with China in the region.

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.