Russian and Chinese bomber patrol around Japan

Darwin, 10 December –

Russia and China have jointly conducted a strategic bomber patrol around Japan. As concerns grew over potential defense threats, Tokyo scrambled fighter jets to monitor its airspace.

According to a Reuters report, the Japanese government said late Tuesday that the incident occurred amid ongoing tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense stated that two Russian Tu-95 bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons first crossed the Sea of Japan and moved toward the East China Sea.

There, two Chinese H-6 bombers joined them, and together they carried out a long-range joint patrol extending to the Pacific Ocean.

Shortly afterward, four more Chinese J-16 fighter jets joined the formation and repeatedly patrolled the area between Okinawa and Miyako Island.

During the patrol, the Miyako Strait—recognized as international waters—became the focal point of surveillance.

At the same time, Japanese authorities detected the presence of Russian military aircraft over the Sea of Japan, including an A-50 early-warning aircraft and two Su-30 fighter jets.

Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said in a post on X on Wednesday, “This operation by Russia and China is undoubtedly a show of force against Japan, and it poses a serious concern for our national security.”

He added that Japanese fighter jets strictly fulfilled their duties in accordance with airspace identification and defense protocols.

Russian media reported that the joint patrol lasted nearly eight hours.

On the same day, South Korea’s military stated that seven Russian and two Chinese aircraft had entered its air defense identification zone.

Earlier, on Sunday, Japan accused fighter jets launched from a Chinese aircraft carrier of locking their radar on Japanese military aircraft—an accusation Beijing has denied.

Military cooperation between China and Russia has increased rapidly in recent years. They have previously conducted joint missile defense drills on Russian territory and live-fire naval exercises in the South China Sea.

According to Tokyo, these activities are intensifying at a time when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently warned that Japan is prepared to respond if Chinese military action in Taiwan threatens Japan’s security.