WORLD : Soviets Accused of Air Violation

Two Japanese Defense Force airplanes scrambled after what was believed to be a Soviet aircraft that twice today crossed into Japan’s northern airspace, a Defense Agency official said, and the Foreign Ministry lodged a strong protest with Moscow.

The aircraft intruded into Japanese airspace at 2:36 a.m., crossing from north to south over Rebun, a small island off Japan’s main island of Hokkaido, the official said.

At 3:51 a.m. near the same area, a “large-sized aircraft,” possibly an electronics reconnaissance plane, flew from the east toward the south, the official said. He said a Japanese air force radar site on Hokkaido warned the aircraft twice in Russian but received no reply.