Russian aircrafts were intercepted by Japanese fighter jets firing warning flares, Tokyo officials reported – escalating fears of violence across the globe.
In an urgent media briefing today, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi announced that Russian planes trespassed into Japanese airspace near Rebun Island in Hokkaido three times from 1pm to 3pm local time.
He described the event as “deeply regrettable” and confirmed Japan has made a strong protest. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled jets which issued warnings using flares.
Tensions between Russia and Japan have escalated since the onset of the Ukraine conflict initiated by Vladimir Putin.
Economic sanctions have led to a significant drop in trade, with Japanese car exports to Russia plummeting by 45 percent and coal imports from Russia decreasing by 67 per cent, as per Responsible Statecraft.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated in February 2024 that Japan is “remains fully committed” to resolving the issue over the contested islands, referred to in Japan as the Northern Territories.
Bugs Marlowe