10 Chinese and Russian military ships passed through the strait near Japan?

The Chinese and Russian military vessels, including destroyers, frigates and supply ships, were about 200 km southwest of Rebun Island, near Japan's Hokkaido Island, at around 3 p.m. on July 28 and moved east through the Soya Strait today, according to Kyodo News.

The Soya Strait lies between Russia's Sakhalin Island and Hokkaido Island, connecting the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula with the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Japan's Defense Ministry said that nine of the 10 Chinese and Russian military ships took part in a joint exercise in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan from July 18-23.

Japan's Defense Ministry added that it is closely monitoring the activities of Chinese and Russian military vessels, which may be involved in a joint patrol in the Pacific, according to Kyodo News.

There is currently no information from China and Russia about the movement of the 10 ships mentioned above.

Last year, Chinese and Russian warships sailed around Japan, prompting Tokyo to criticize the move as a "show of force".

Previously, in October 2021, the Japanese Ministry of Defense confirmed that 10 military ships from China and Russia had passed together through the Tsugaru Strait, which separates the northern islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, according to Reuters.

It was the first time Japan had confirmed that Chinese and Russian naval vessels had passed through the Tsugaru Strait. The Tsugaru Strait connects the waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula to the Pacific Ocean, and is an international strait, allowing foreign ships, including military vessels, to pass through.