“The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) spotted two Russian corvettes, a fleet oiler, a tugboat and six cargo ships around 5 p.m. Saturday sailing southwest 140 kilometers northeast of Tsushima, and from Saturday to Sunday, the convoy transited the strait, reads a Monday news release from Japan’s Joint Staff Office. JMSDF fast attack craft JS Shirataka (PG-826) and a JMSDF P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft shadowed the Russian ships.”
“Of the five identified ships, Lady R has been sanctioned by the U.S and the EU, with South Korea sanctioning the ship in April of 2024 for transporting weapons and munitions from North Korea to Russia. Maia 1, Lady D and Lady Mariia were sanctioned by the U.S. due affiliation with MG-FLOT LLC, which has been designated under the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities sanctions. The three ships have also been sanctioned by various countries for transporting Russian weapons and munitions.”
“Sunday’s convoy in the East China Sea is unusual as neither Japan nor South Korea have publicly disclosed a policy or decision authorizing the interception and boarding of sanctioned ships by their navies. Similarly, the U.S., the U.K and France have not expanded seizures of sanctioned ships to the Western Pacific.”
https://news.usni.org/2026/05/11/10-ship-russian-convoy-transits-japans-tsushima-strait
See also: Something else for Australia to consider: Russian nuclear subs in the Pacific
“Russia has modernised its Pacific submarines and has a clear reason for using them: increasingly dependent on China economically and strategically, it could not afford to see China fail in an attempt at subjugating Taiwan. If China invades Taiwan, Russia may well act, particularly by complicating Japan’s attempts to come to Taiwan’s aid.”
“If a Chinese invasion of Taiwan were to fail, Russia would be in a highly vulnerable international position, with its attempts to upend the liberal international order thwarted and its European ambitions untenable. Therefore, one cannot assume that Russian support for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be merely tacit, as Chinese support has been for Russia in Ukraine.”
“Seemingly recognising its position, Russia has undertaken a campaign of rapid naval modernisation in the Pacific, particularly regarding its fleet of advanced nuclear submarines. Indeed, its Pacific nuclear submarine force rivals China’s in size and sophistication…”