Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro: Since the beginning of this year, the Chinese and Russian military have been actively conducting intelligence gathering activities in the surrounding maritime and airspace, including intelligence gathering ships and aircraft. Regarding the Chinese Navy, on the 24th, an intelligence-gathering ship of the Dongdiao class sailed southeast from between Okinawa and Miyako Island towards the Pacific Ocean. Regarding the Russian Navy, an intelligence-gathering ship of the Vishnya class passed through the Tsushima Strait on the 7th, and from the 12th to the 24th, it continuously navigated around the Senkaku Islands and Okinawa Island for a long time. It has been confirmed and announced that it circumnavigated the Senkaku Islands, which is the first time. In addition, in the air, as previously reported, on the 23rd, a Russian IL-20 intelligence-gathering aircraft just flew near the coast of Kyoto Prefecture in the Sea of Japan, and on the 26th, a similar aircraft flew near the northeast of the Pacific Ocean. Considering the characteristics of these vessels and aircraft, these activities are likely aimed at some form of intelligence gathering. In response to such movements, the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces have implemented vigilance monitoring, emergency takeoffs of fighter aircraft, etc., without any negligence, as shown in the figure. The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces will maintain a high level of attention and closely monitor the movements of the Chinese and Russian military in our surrounding maritime and airspace at any time and anywhere, while fully ensuring the effectiveness of the vigilance and monitoring measures.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855386551568395/
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