Japan scrambled Air Self-Defense Force fighters after a Russian IL-20 intelligence aircraft flew near the Kyoto coast and then returned toward the continent

Japan confirmed a Russian IL-20 intelligence-gathering aircraft conducted a surveillance flight near its western approaches on January 23, according to Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. The aircraft flew from the continental direction into the Sea of Japan, then altered course off the coast of Kyoto Prefecture before departing. Japan's Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighters in response, tracking the aircraft and collecting data on its emissions and maneuvers. Koizumi stated that the flight fits a broader pattern of increased Russian long-range aviation and intelligence activity near Japan since 2022, and that Japan will continue to monitor Russian military movements.