By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

A Russian reconnaissance aircraft approached a U.S. aircraft carrier on the eastern waters off the Korean Peninsula Wednesday, entering South Korea's air defense safety zone, a military source said Thursday.

Two U.S. F/A-18 fighters from the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier participating in annual drills by South Korean and American troops successfully intercepted the Russian aircraft, a Tupolev TU-142 BEAR-F and escorted it out of the area, the source said, asking not to be named.

Four F-16 fighters of the South Korean Air Force also conducted maneuvers to support the U.S. fighters, he added.

''The U.S. military first detected the Russian aircraft and carried out counter-measures against it,'' said the source. ''Our fighters subsequently flew patrol maneuvers.''

The Russian plane came within three to five nautical miles and flew at 2,000 feet above the 97,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, according to the source.

The Russian aircraft entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ), designated by the commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Force Command in 1951 to prevent clashes in the air between countries surrounding the Korean Peninsula, he said.

The zone covers the sky over the country's easternmost Dokdo islets, which Japan has laid claim to.

The Korean military has a 24-hour early warning system in place against aircraft entering the zone.

Russian bombers over the past year have increased their flights near U.S. territory and naval assets, demonstrating their long-range strike capability.

Last month, two Russian bombers approached the Nimitz near Japan and one flew over the carrier, escorted by a U.S. fighter jet, the first Russian over-flight of a U.S. carrier since 2004.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr