Drones crossed the line
Unidentified flying objects believed to be North Korean drones crossed the demarcation line separating the Korean Peninsula. This was reported by the Yonhap agency with reference to the Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean Armed Forces.
The armed forces of the Republic of Korea registered several targets in the border areas at 10:25 Seoul (4:25 Moscow time).
Drones have been detected in South Korea’s capital Seoul, as well as Gimpo, Ganghwa island and Paju. Incheon and Gimpo airports were suspended.
Attack helicopters and warplanes were sent to destroy the UAVs. According to the military, the South Korean Air Force fired warning shots and then attempted to destroy the drones.
Plane crashed
The light attack aircraft KA-1 of the South Korean Air Force crashed during the invasion of drones from North Korea. According to YTN TV, the accident occurred in a field near the village of Mukkeri, not far from the border line, at 11:40 am (5:40 Moscow time).
“An incident occurred as a result of appropriate intervention. Two pilots were launched, no damage was recorded, ”the South Korean command says.
According to their statement, the incident occurred “during preparations for tactical support in connection with the North’s drones”.
Both pilots managed to jump and land with parachutes. He was taken to the hospital by firefighters.
Challenges in the sky
According to News1’s report, the Republic of Korea military is facing difficulties in destroying North Korean drones. Drones change their flight paths and altitudes, approaching areas with large numbers of civilians.
According to eyewitnesses, drones fly very low and are visible to the naked eye. The aircraft is actively maneuvering. That’s why radars can’t always detect objects, according to the report.
The South Korean Armed Forces command alleges that Pyongyang carried out a drone raid “to provoke and hit targets so that the artillery could aim more accurately”. The ROK military hopes to be able to study the electronics of the downed drones.
Soon after, the Yonhap news agency reported that one of the five DPRK drones had returned to North Korea.
“In total, five North Korean drones have been detected. First <…> “He went straight to the north of Seoul and then left Seoul and returned to North Korea.”
It was noted that the remaining four drones disappeared from the radar of the South Korean army.
The air defense forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan fired about 100 rounds of 20 mm caliber at North Korean drones, but were unable to neutralize them.
In 2014 and 2017, South Korea already reported North Korean drone strikes. In the spring and autumn of 2014, a total of four downed drones were found. They found photographic images of the Presidential administration of Kazakhstan, military bases and other objects.
In June 2017, a local resident found another North Korean drone crashed in Gangwon Province. According to the ROK military, the drone filmed the US Armed Forces’ THAAD missile defense base, surrounding roads and landscapes. In total, 555 frames were found in the drone’s memory.
rocket launch
Last month, North Korea increased the number of missile tests. On December 18, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan. The launches took place with a difference of 25 minutes. After that, another three dozen rocket launches took place.
On December 23, North Korea fired a missile again, the Japanese defense ministry said. The flight range was 300 km, the maximum altitude was 50 km. The rocket crashed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone. This was North Korea’s 36th ballistic missile test since December 18. Pyongyang announced that its missiles were tested.
In November, St. Kirill Kotkov, head of the Research Center for Far Eastern Countries in St. Petersburg, told Reedus news agency that a military confrontation between South and North Korea is unlikely due to North Korean missile launches. . He explained that both countries are very dependent on other world powers and this war is not beneficial.
Also, according to him, both Seoul and Pyongyang are aware of the pointlessness of an armed conflict. “One way or another, neither side wants war, it’s not in their interest,” said Kotkov.
He reminded that there are more serious tensions between the parties. As an example, he cited events ten years ago, when the DPRK and South Korea held artillery duels in the Yellow Sea, off the coast of the Korean Peninsula.