Russia's Defense Ministry on Tuesday denied allegations that its warplanes violated South Korean airspace, claiming that they strictly observed related international protocol.

The Russian ministry said in a statement that two Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers flew over neutral waters in the East Sea, West Sea and the East China Sea on Tuesday, adding the trajectories were part of regular flights. 

The ministry said that the Russian bombers were escorted by Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets and an A-50 early warning and control aircraft, and that South Korea and Japan both scrambled fighter jets and accompanied the Russian aircraft during part of the flight. 

It claimed that Russian pilots carried out the regular flights strictly in accordance with international regulations and did not violate the airspace of other countries.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, six Russian military aircraft entered Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone on Tuesday morning, prompting the South Korean military to dispatch ten warplanes to the area to force the planes to retreat.