Devendra Kumar
Japan has reported an escalation in military tensions with Russia, highlighted by the first-time use of flares by its fighter jets to warn off a Russian reconnaissance aircraft. According to Japan’s Defense Ministry, the incident occurred when a Russian II-38 maritime patrol aircraft repeatedly breached Japanese airspace above Rebun Island.
The Japanese F-15 and F-35 warplanes were deployed after the Russian aircraft ignored radio warnings, prompting them to fire flares as a visual signal to leave the area.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara indicated that this incident marks the first publicly acknowledged airspace violation by a Russian aircraft since June 2019. During its five-hour flight, the Russian plane intruded into Japanese airspace three times, which Kihara described as “extremely regrettable.”
The Japanese government lodged a serious diplomatic protest against the incursion and urged Russia to take steps to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
In response to the incident, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed government officials to handle the situation with firmness and composure, emphasizing collaboration with the United States and other nations.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi noted that while the intent of the Russian military actions remains unclear, there has been a noticeable increase in military activities by Russia near Japan since the invasion of Ukraine.
The airspace violation coincided with increased military cooperation between China and Russia, as evidenced by recent joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan. This development has raised concerns in Japan, particularly given the context of growing assertiveness from China and Russia in the region.
Japanese defense officials have expressed alarm over these patterns, prompting a significant enhancement of Japan’s defense strategies, particularly in the southwestern territories and remote islands considered critical to national security.
Japan’s defense forces have been actively responding to potential threats, having scrambled jets 669 times from April 2023 to March 2024, predominantly in response to Chinese military aircraft.
The long-standing territorial dispute between Japan and Russia over the Northern Territories continues to complicate relations, as does Japan’s support for Ukraine, which has led to heightened tensions and sanctions against Russian entities by the Japanese government.
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