Japan Scrambles Fighter Jets Following Incursion of Russian 'Intelligence-Gathering' Aircraft

The Japanese defense ministry said it scrambled fighter jets after a Russian “intelligence-gathering” aircraft was spotted flying over the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan this week. This follows recent incidents, including Russian military drills in the region, including test firing missiles into the Sea of Japan.

On Thursday, the Japanese defense ministry said that it scrambled fighter jets after a Russian “intelligence-gathering” aircraft was seen over the coasts along the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. The Joint Staff office said in a statement that one Russian aircraft flew over Japan’s north on part of its west coast, and another Russian aircraft flew a similar route on the opposite coast and returned in the same way.

“In response, fighters of the Air Self-Defense Force’s Northern Air Force and other units were scrambled,” said the statement.

The incursion follows an incident in May, where Chinese and Russian military aircraft were seen carrying out joint flights near Japan following a meeting of the US-led Quad grouping in Tokyo. The other members of the Quad Alliance are India and Australia. Moscow also most recently held military drills, including test firing missiles into the Sea of Japan.

The incursion also comes days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the annual G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan. Tokyo has also joined Western allies in sanctioning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Japan has also warned of the threat imposed by Moscow in the region.

The latest security document warned that Russia’s military posturing in Asia and its cooperation with China was “a strong security concern.” Russia has also considered Japan to be a “hostile” country along with the European Union, the US, and its allies such as the United Kingdom and Australia.

Meanwhile, local media reports said an attack in rural Japan left three people killed and one person wounded in a shooting and stabbing incident. Of the three that have been killed, two were police officers. The attacker barricaded themselves inside the building.

Police officers went to the scene on Thursday in response to a pedestrian’s report of a commotion in Nakano city in Japan’s Nagano prefecture.

Photo: OKJaguar / Wikimedia Commons (CC by 2.0)