Five Russian Navy ships entered the Sea of Japan through Tsushima Strait, having previously formed a flotilla with five Chinese ships that had sailed around most of the Japanese archipelago, the Defense Ministry said Monday.
The ministry is analyzing the reason behind the latest development. The 10 Russian and Chinese ships are believed to include vessels that took part in a joint drill conducted by the two countries in the Sea of Japan in mid-October, according to the ministry.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force spotted five Russian navy ships sailing in a northeasterly direction some 140 kilometers southwest of Tsushima, in Nagasaki Prefecture, at around 10 p.m. on Saturday and they later entered the Sea of Japan.