Japan's defence ministry reported a Chinese People's Liberation Army vessel conducted a live-fire drill within Japan's claimed Exclusive Economic Zone near Okinotori Island, alongside a Russian navy ship. China's foreign ministry firmly refuted these claims as "groundless."
Japan's defence ministry detected two Chinese missile destroyers and a supply ship with a Russian frigate near Okinotori Island. One Chinese destroyer later conducted an exercise within Japan’s claimed EEZ, notifying surrounding ships, raising concerns over maritime claims.
Japan and South Korea scrambled fighter jets in response to a joint Russian-Chinese bomber patrol over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea, and western Pacific, marking the 11th such patrol since 2019.
Three Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force crew members were killed when a round exploded inside the turret of a Type 10 tank during training exercises at the Hijudai training area in Oita prefecture on Tuesday. The incident, which also left a driver seriously injured, is extremely rare as detonations inside tank turrets are virtually unheard of. The last similar accident in Japan occurred in 1979. The GSDF has suspended firing drills while investigators examine the anti-tank rounds, self-loading mechanism and breech system.
