A Russian navy intelligence ship hugged Japan's lengthy coastlines during a pointed deployment that lasted at least 10 days, the Japanese Defense Ministry said earlier this month.
A Newsweek map produced using Tokyo's geospatial data shows the route taken by the Kareliya, a Project 864 or Vishnya-class signals intelligence-gathering warship in service with Russia's Pacific Fleet, which is headquartered in the Sea of Japan.
The Kareliya appeared in at least three reports released in recent weeks by the Joint Staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, which dispatched its own ships and aircraft to monitor the Russian vessel.
Signals emitted by military hardware such as radar and missiles as well as communications devices can offer useful insights into the capabilities or plans of potential adversaries. The Vishnya class was first built in the 1980s for the Soviet navy and remains active in all theaters.
The Kareliya was monitored by the U.S. Coast Guard early last year after appearing off the Hawaiian islands.
U.S. ally Japan hosts the most forward-deployed American troops anywhere in the world outside of U.S. territory. About 60 percent of the 50,000 or so personnel are stationed on the Japanese island of Okinawa—part of the so-called first island chain.
Both Russian and Chinese naval forces have been active around Japan and its sprawling archipelagic territory, which stretches from Northeast Asia down to East Asia, stopping less than 70 miles from Taiwan off China's east coast.
The Kareliya's movements were first disclosed by Japan's Joint Staff late last month, when on March 24 it appeared to scan the main Japanese island of Honshu while sailing westward north of Sado Island in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.
The Russian spy ship was next seen entering the East China Sea via the Tsushima Strait, before sailing into the Western Pacific on March 30 via the strategic Miyako Strait, between the Japanese islands of Miyako and Okinawa, according to Tokyo's reports.
It was last reported south of the island of Hateruma while hugging the shores of Japan's southwest islands, according to the Joint Staff's April 4 press release.
Japan said the Mashu-class replenishment ship JS Omi and a P-3C maritime patrol aircraft were sent to conduct surveillance on the Kareliya.
The Japanese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on its assessment of the Russian ship's intentions.
Russia's Defense Ministry could not be reached for comment.
Tokyo and Moscow share a long-running territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands, also known in Japan as the Northern Territories, which separate the Sea of Okhotsk from the Northern Pacific.
Last week, Russia deployed two nuclear-capable Tu-95MS bombers and two Su-30SM fighter escorts for a 10-hour patrol in the Sea of Japan, prompting Tokyo to scramble Air Self-Defense interceptors.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the planned exercise took place in international airspace.
Russia's Pacific Fleet, which is located in the Peter the Great Gulf further north, remains active this month with springtime drills.
On Tuesday, the Russian navy said its landing craft held an anti-drone exercise near the Kuril Islands, while on Friday it said two corvettes trained to repel and air strike, according to separate reports by Russia's state news agency Tass.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan arrived in Washington, D.C., on Monday ahead of a series of meetings that is expected to conclude with significant upgrades to the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He ... Read more
