Japan Observes Russian Warships Near Taiwan and Okinawa

The Japanese Ministry of Defense announced that it has "detected two Russian naval vessels in the waters near Taiwan and the Japanese island of Okinawa over the past four days," following a similar announcement from Taiwan a few days earlier. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense stated on Tuesday that it has "spotted two Russian frigates off its eastern coast and has deployed aircraft and ships for surveillance." The Japanese government expressed last month that the repeated Russian military activity near Japanese territories, including joint drills with Chinese forces, poses a "serious concern" for Japan's national security. Japan and Taiwan joined the U.S. and its allies in imposing extensive sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine last year.