The Japanese Self-Defense Forces have reported the deployment of their fighter jets to monitor two Russian military aircraft of the “Ilyushin-38” model as they flew over the Japan Sea.
This move comes amidst heightened regional tensions.
According to reports from the Russian news agency TASS, the Russian aircraft initially flew over the Japan Sea, traversing the Tsushima Strait, before veering towards the East China Sea and later returning in the opposite direction.
This incident follows a previous announcement from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, stating that five vessels from the Russian Navy and six Chinese military ships sailed between the Okinawa and Miyako Islands.
Remarkably, this marks the first instance of joint maneuvers conducted by the two nations’ naval vessels in this specific region, as per an official statement from the Ministry of Defense.
In response, Wu Qian, the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, has urged Japan to refrain from taking counterproductive actions that could hinder the collaborative patrols of both Chinese and Russian armed forces in the area.
Wu emphasized that both China and Russia remain committed to strictly adhering to international law during their joint patrols.
