Japan’s defense ministry has announced that it scrambled fighter jets in response to two Russian IL-38 information-gathering aircraft spotted flying back and forth between the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. This incident occurred near South Korea and China and came a day after Japan observed Russian and Chinese naval ships crossing waters between the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyako. The defense ministry’s response aims to ensure security and deter any potential threats to Japan’s territorial sovereignty.