A Russian trawler that reportedly repelled a hijack attempt by a pirate ship off Vladivostok on Tuesday is located off Hokkaido in the Sea of Japan, the Japan Coast Guard confirmed Thursday.
The Russian news agency Interfax reported earlier that the captain of the 1,200-ton Tulun had radioed Russian transportation authorities in Sakhalin on Wednesday, claiming that his crew had repelled a hijack attempt about 750 km southeast of Vladivostok.
The trawler had earlier left the South Korean port of Pusan.
The Japan Coast Guard has not received confirmation from the Russian authorities that the hijacking attempt failed, officials said.
Having been asked by the Russian authorities to keep an eye on the ship, coast guard officials said they will maintain their monitoring activities, the officials added.
The 54-meter-long Tulun is owned by a Russian fishing company based in Sakhalin.
None of the 23 crew members on board was injured in the incident, according to the Russian news agency.