Japan confirmed in the last few hours the transit of a Russian signals intelligence ship of the Russian Navy in waters near the islands of Yonaguni and Miyako, two points of high strategic value for the Japanese archipelago. The episode, recorded between January 13 and 15, once again brought into focus the growing naval activity of extra-regional powers in sensitive areas of southwestern Japan, in a context of persistent tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Japan, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) detected the Russian Vishnya-class ship, Project 864, identified as Kareliya (535) – sailing within the contiguous waters of Yonaguni Island, moving in a northeasterly direction. Subsequently, the unit continued its transit through an area that included the waters adjacent to Miyako Island, before heading toward the Pacific Ocean.
According to the official statement, the tracking of the Russian ship began on January 12, when it was sighted about 60 kilometers northeast of Yonaguni, initially moving in a southwesterly direction. Japanese authorities confirmed that this is the same ship that had been observed last January 7 transiting the Tsushima Strait, which evidences a prolonged and planned navigation along key points of the Japanese coastline.
In detail, it is important to mention that the Vishnya class, to which the detected Russian ship belongs, was built in the 80s and is specialized in signals surveillance tasks (SIGINT), including the collection of electronic emissions, communications, and data related to radar systems and military networks. Its presence in waters near strategic facilities and corridors is usually interpreted by analysts as part of Russia’s efforts to observe and gather information.
During the entire route, the JMSDF deployed naval and aerial assets to carry out surveillance, monitoring, and intelligence tasks. Among the units involved, the destroyer Ikazuchi, belonging to the 1st Escort Flotilla, stood out, as well as P-1 and P-3C maritime patrol aircraft from the 1st and 5th Air Groups, based in Konoha and Naha respectively. According to what was mentioned, the aircraft maintained constant tracking of the Russian ship while it remained in the vicinity of the archipelago.
Yonaguni: more than an island
The transit of the Russian intelligence ship holds particular relevance due to its proximity to Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island and the country’s closest point to Taiwan. In recent years, this enclave has acquired a central role within Japan’s defensive strategy, especially after the news that the government would deploy Type 03 short-range anti-aircraft systems and surveillance units, in response to the increase in China’s military activity in the region.
Furthermore, this new episode adds to a series of incidents in which Japan has had to closely monitor the navigation of military ships from Russia and China in the vicinity of its territory. Taken together, these movements have reinforced the perception that the Japanese southwest, and in particular the islands near the Taiwan Strait, continues to consolidate as a key space within the regional strategic balance.
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