Japan scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday to monitor joint Russian–Chinese military operations near its airspace, the defence ministry said, as tensions between Tokyo and Beijing deepen over regional security concerns.
According to the ministry, two Russian Tu-95 nuclear-capable bombers flew from the Sea of Japan toward the East China Sea, where they linked up with two Chinese H-6 bombers for a “long-distance joint flight” over the Pacific. Four Chinese J-16 fighter jets later joined the formation, which completed a round-trip between Japan’s Okinawa and Miyako islands via international airspace in the Miyako Strait.
Japan also reported additional Russian activity in the Sea of Japan, detecting an A-50 early-warning aircraft and two Su-30 fighters operating simultaneously.
Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi condemned the operation in a post on X, saying the coordinated flights were “clearly intended as a show of force against our nation” and posed a serious national security concern. He added that Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force “strictly implemented air defense identification measures.”
Russian media, citing the country’s defence ministry, reported the joint patrol lasted eight hours. South Korea’s military also said seven Russian aircraft and two Chinese aircraft entered its air defence identification zone on Tuesday.
The flights came amid a series of confrontations. On Sunday, Japan accused Chinese carrier-launched fighter jets of aiming radar at its military aircraft a claim Beijing denied.
China’s increased military activity near Japan follows comments last month by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who said Tokyo could respond to any Chinese action against Taiwan if it also threatened Japan’s security.
Russia and China have steadily deepened military cooperation in recent years, conducting joint anti-missile training in Russia and live-fire naval drills in the South China Sea, underscoring a growing strategic alignment between the two nuclear powers.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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