TOKYO/MOSCOW — December 10, 2025 — Japan has deployed fighter jets to monitor a joint air patrol by Russian and Chinese military aircraft operating near its airspace, the country’s defence ministry announced late Tuesday. The move comes amid intensifying diplomatic friction between Tokyo and Beijing and growing concerns over expanding Sino-Russian military cooperation in the region.
According to Japan’s defence ministry, two Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers flew from the Sea of Japan toward the East China Sea, where they linked up with two Chinese H-6 bombers before conducting what officials described as a long-range coordinated mission over the Pacific.
The joint formation was later joined by four Chinese J-16 fighter jets, which accompanied the bombers during a round-trip flight between Okinawa and Miyako, a key international waterway frequently used for Chinese military transits.
Japan simultaneously detected additional Russian aircraft in the Sea of Japan, including an A-50 early-warning plane and two Su-30 fighter jets, signaling what analysts say was a broad show of force.
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi condemned the operation in a post on X, calling the manoeuvres “a deliberate display of power directed at Japan” and warning that such actions pose a significant threat to national security. He added that Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force “implemented all necessary air-defense identification procedures with strict precision.”
Russian media reported that the joint flight lasted approximately eight hours, citing the country’s defence ministry. The operation also triggered a response from South Korea, which reported that nine Russian and Chinese aircraft entered its air-defense identification zone on Tuesday.
The latest incident follows growing tensions between Japan and China, including Tokyo’s recent claim that Chinese carrier-based fighter jets locked radar on Japanese military aircraft — an accusation Beijing denies.
Regional tensions have escalated since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated last month that Japan could intervene if China were to take military action against Taiwan in a way that threatened Japanese security.
China and Russia have significantly expanded their defence partnership in recent years, conducting joint missile-defence training in Russia and naval live-fire drills in the South China Sea, underscoring a deepening strategic alignment that continues to unsettle neighbouring countries.