Four large Russian warships, possibly transporting troops and combat vehicles to Ukraine, were spotted near Japan on Wednesday, the Japanese military said.
The Russian amphibious warfare ships were spotted by the Japanese military traveling west, and photos of the transport ships published by Japan’s Defense Ministry showed what looked to be military vehicles on the deck of one of the vessels.
“We don’t know where they are heading, but their heading suggest it is possible,” a Japanese Defense Ministry spokesman said when asked if the ships could be bound for Ukraine.
The ships are reportedly “tank landing ships” that can carry dozens of vehicles and hundreds of troops and can be used for landing expeditionary forces.
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The Japanese military said the ships entered the Sea of Japan from the Pacific Ocean through the Tsugaru Strait in northeastern Japan, roughly 435 miles east of the Russian coastal city of Vladivostok.
It is unusual for Russian ships to pass through the strait, the Japanese military spokesman said.
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On Sunday, a British intelligence bulletin said Russia may be plotting more amphibious landing operations in Ukraine in the coming weeks.
