Russian Warships Spotted Near Japanese Territorial Waters: Defense Ministry

The Japanese Defense Ministry reported a recent sighting of seven Russian naval vessels near the country’s territorial waters, sparking concerns about military activities in the region. The vessels, assigned to the Russian Pacific Fleet, were observed near Japan’s southwestern, western, and northern waters, prompting the Japanese military to monitor their movements closely.

This news comes amidst ongoing Russian military operations around the Japanese archipelago. Last month, Russian aircraft conducted reconnaissance flights near Japan, with one incident involving an intrusion into Japanese airspace that led to a response from Japanese fighter jets.

The latest sighting involved four Russian naval ships transiting the Tsushima Strait and passing through the Japanese southwestern islands of Yonaguni and Iriomote. The group, consisting of corvettes and a supply ship, departed from Vladivostok and headed southward in the Philippine Sea, passing off the eastern coast of Taiwan.

In a separate incident, another Russian naval group, including a corvette and mine countermeasures ships, transited the La Perouse Strait north of Hokkaido on their way to the Sea of Okhotsk. These waterways are crucial for the Russian Pacific Fleet to access the wider Pacific Ocean, with Japan designating them as international waterways under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Russian Pacific Fleet recently conducted joint anti-submarine missions with Chinese warships in the Pacific Ocean, highlighting the growing military cooperation between the two countries. The presence of Russian naval vessels near Japan raises questions about regional security and the potential for further military activities in the area.

As tensions simmer in the region, the Japanese Defense Ministry continues to monitor and assess the situation, while seeking clarification from Moscow on the purpose of the Russian naval presence near its territorial waters.