Last Friday, the Japanese Joint Staff said that on Thursday, January 30, 2 Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers, an Su-35 multirole fighter, and an unidentified aircraft were observed flying from Russia over to the northern Japanese coastal area of Cape Shiretoko, Hokkaido. These two Tu-95s, escorted by the Su-35 and an Su-30, were again seen in the afternoon off the coast of the Akita Prefecture. Lastly, a Russian Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) flew over the Sea of Japan into Japan’s extended Air defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), prompting the Northern Air Force of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) to scramble fighter aircraft in response. The Russian Ministry of Defense confir