This past Tuesday, August 19, the Tu-95MS strategic bombers of the long-range aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a planned flight over neutral waters of the Sea of Japan, reported the Russian Ministry of Defense.
According to the official statement, the operation lasted more than six hours and was escorted by Su-35S and Su-30SM fighters. The ministry emphasized that long-range aviation crews regularly carry out missions over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, as well as the Black and Baltic Seas. “All flights of the aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces are conducted in strict accordance with international airspace usage regulations,” the defense ministry stated.
These types of operations are not new in the region. Earlier this year, two Tu-95MS bombers carried out a flight of more than eight hours over the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan. On that occasion, in addition to the escort of Russian fighters, the aircraft were tracked at certain stages by F-15J aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
At that time, the Japanese Joint Staff had reported that its units responded to an intrusion into the airspace near the island of Hokkaido, deploying fighters from the Northern Air Defense Command. According to the official description, the Russian bombers and fighters carried out maneuvers along the coast of Cape Shiretoko, entered the Soya Strait, and later changed course toward the continent. In another phase of the flight, they moved over the Sea of Japan in front of Okushiri Island up to the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture. The presence of an IL-38 maritime patrol aircraft was also detected.
In addition, in October 2024, Japanese authorities recorded a ten-hour flight of Tu-95MS bombers and Su-30SM fighters in the Sea of Japan. In all cases, Moscow asserted that the operations took place in international airspace and in compliance with current regulations.
In conclusion, with this new deployment, it is the second Tu-95MS bomber patrol in the Sea of Japan so far in 2025, adding to the long-range flights carried out earlier this year by Tu-160 strategic aircraft over the Arctic Ocean. This demonstrates that Russia is allocating resources to keep its far eastern territory monitored and patrolled.
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