The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force reported that on Wednesday morning, August 24, a russian Borei-class strategic nuclear submarine accompanied by two other ships was spotted near Japan. This is the first time such vessels have been spotted near the Japanese archipelago.
According to Zona Militar, the submarine and two ships passed approximately 40 km west of the Sōya Strait, heading toward the Sea of Japan. Even though their movement did not violate security, Japan's Ministry of Defense decided to deploy monitoring equipment.
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Japan deployed the JS Wakatake, a Hayabusa-class missile patrol boat, along with a P-3C Orion patrol aircraft.
The ships that escorted the russian submarine included the Slava-class Atlant missile cruiser, Project 1164, identified as Varyag 011, and the Fotiy Krylov, a submarine rescue and salvage tug of Project R-5757.
No further details about the submarine have been reported, although it is likely to have been a modernized Borei-A-class submarine, the Imperator Aleksandr III (Project K-554).
It should be noted that Borei/Borei-A class submarines carry Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles.
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