In recent hours, Japan’s Ministry of Defense reported that a total of eight aircraft from the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted air operations in the Sea of Japan. Among the aerial units detected on October 22 were Su-30SM fighters and Tu-95MS bombers, which were closely monitored by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.
According to the Russian statement, the Tu-95MS crews carried out missions lasting about 10 hours over neutral waters in the Sea of Japan. These operations, the Russian Ministry of Defense clarified, had been scheduled as part of regular exercises, and the aircraft were escorted by Su-30SM fighters throughout the mission.
Images released by Russian authorities show the aircraft taking off from their bases, in-flight operations, and their subsequent landing. These types of air deployments are frequent, as Russian long-range crews regularly fly over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific, Black, and Baltic seas, demonstrating the operational capability of Russian aviation in various strategic regions.
While this deployment has drawn attention in the region, it adds to a series of similar operations already conducted by Russia over the Sea of Japan. As recently as August of this year, Tu-95S bombers, along with aircraft from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), conducted patrol flights within the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the Sea of Japan. These aircraft, departing from their bases in Russia, flew eastward over the Sea of Japan, then changed course before reaching the Oki Islands archipelago.
Both the flights conducted on October 22, as well as the previously mentioned missions and others, have been described in official Russian Ministry of Defense statements as being conducted in international airspace, in compliance with international laws and regulations.
Images used for illustrative purposes
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