Japan's Defense Ministry reported that it scrambled fighter jets after two Russian patrol aircraft were detected flying in circles around the country.
First Time Since 2019
Although the Russian planes did not enter Japanese airspace, their proximity raised significant concerns. This incident marks the first such military activity around Japan since 2019, when Russian bombers breached Japanese airspace.
The Russian Tu-142 aircraft were tracked traveling from the sea between Japan and South Korea towards the southern Okinawa region, according to Digi24.
They then proceeded north over the Pacific Ocean, reaching the northern island of Hokkaido. In response, the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force launched an urgent interception of the Russian planes.
The Russian aircraft also flew over the disputed Kuril Islands, known as the "Northern Territories" in Japan.
This volcanic archipelago, located north of Hokkaido, was seized by the USSR in the final days of World War II and remains under Russian military control. The territorial dispute over these islands has long strained relations between Japan and Russia.
Japan Allies With the West
Tensions between the two countries have further escalated since the onset of the Ukraine conflict. Japan, aligned with Western positions, has seen deteriorating relations with Russia, while Moscow has deepened its ties with Beijing.
In response to increased U.S. and allied presence in the Asia-Pacific region, Russia and China recently commenced naval exercises in the northern Sea of Japan. Russian President Vladimir Putin has described these exercises, part of the large-scale Ocean-2024 maneuvers, as the most significant in three decades.
Earlier in August, Japan condemned a Chinese military aircraft intrusion into its airspace, labeling it a "serious violation" of its sovereignty.
China, in turn, claimed it was verifying the incident and assured that it had no intention of invading other countries' airspace. Shortly after, Japan also criticized a Chinese naval vessel's intrusion into its territorial waters near southern islands.
