The Japanese army on Thursday Fighter jets dispatchedafter previously two Russian aircraft circled the island state The Russian aircraft did not enter Japanese airspace, the Defense Ministry said on Friday. From morning to afternoon, the Russian Tu-142 aircraft flew from the sea towards the southern region of Okinawa, it said.
In response, “we have mobilized Defense Air Force fighter jets to an emergency base,” the ministry statement added.
The Russian planes ended their overflight in the north near the Hokkaido Islands. According to the ministry, they also crossed the Kuril Islands – an area that Subject of a territorial dispute between Japan and Russia.
Earlier this week, Russian and Chinese warships began joint exercises in the Sea of Japan. The exercises are part of a large-scale naval exercisewhich Russian President Vladimir Putin has described as the largest of its kind in three decades.
The last time Russian military aircraft circled over Japan was in 2019. At that time, the bombers violated Japanese airspace, a ministry official told AFP.
In recent years, Russia and China have military cooperation intensified to work together against what they see as US dominance.
Since the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, relations between Japan and Russia have deteriorated significantly. (AFP)
