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Russian Military Activity Around JapanManaged By
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Table of ContentsCharles TheinerOctober 2024 - Present
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Table of Contents and FAQ-Everything you need to understand this data.PLATracker.com
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Totals by Aircraft Type-Overview of which types of Russian aircraft have been publicly confirmed by the MoD and when
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Totals by Aircraft Category-Overview of which categories of Russian aircraft have been publicly confirmed by the MoD and when.Last ReviewLastest Info
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Totals by Vessel Class-Overview of which classes of Russian naval vessels have been publicly confirmed by the MoD and when.
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Totals by Vessel Category-Overview of which categories of Russian naval vessels have been publicly confirmed by the MoD and when.6/12/2026 2247 JST5/13/2026
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Aerial Data-Detailed data on single aircraft on given days, based on data provided by the MoD.
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Naval Data-Detailed data on single vessels on given days, based on data provided by Japan's MoD.
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Tracked Specifications-A list of all specific types and categories of craft observed in the data.
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Frequntly Asked Questions
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Where does this data come from?-Reports on Russian air and naval activity near Japan released by the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD). Each entry in the MoD data tabs is directly linked to the relevant press release.
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Does this data capture all Russian activty around Japan?-In short, no! This data has everything Japan's MoD chooses to share. While there is a lot to learn from the reports they release, there is undoubtedly additional activity that the MoD chooses not to share. We draw from every MoD press release that explains a specific event as well as any other incident reported in the quarterly Self Defense Force (SDF) scramble reports, so long as it is after 2006. We set this limit because of the extant, but woefully incomplete historical data in many of these scramble reports.
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Why is PLATracker interested in Russian activity?-As Russia and China collaborate more closely in the security sector, Russia's actions in the Pacific become increasingly important. East Asia has played an outsized role in the Russo-Ukrainian War through North Korea’s troop deployment and China’s economic support. With Russia’s Pacific border, it should by all rights be even more deeply invested in the outcome of a conflict in the Indo-Pacific than China and North Korea currently are in Eastern Europe. It would be negligent not to track how Russia treats its eastern neighbors, especially those at odds with China.
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What is the best way to use this data?-This data is best used for trend analysis concerning types of Russian aircraft and naval vessels around Japan. This has answers to your fine grain questions, such as "Are bombers or spy aircraft more common", or "What was the last time someone saw an A-50 in this area?" For more broad trends, check out our other dataset, Air Activity Around Japan. This has the grand total of scrambles and airspace violations, including fine grain data on to whom the scrambles were a response and in what region they were performed.
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If I use this data in my reporting or research, how do I cite it?-Charles Theiner, Russian Military Activity Around Japan, PLATracker, 2025, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iWshzSwJHadSUiiJzUxulRkboqlwEIQRmWivDYeB9pc/edit?pli=1&gid=131243260#gid=131243260
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I would like to have download access to the so I can use it for research. How can I gain access?-Please read our data sharing policy here.
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Where can I find more data like this?-Our other datasets, trackers, and publications can be found at PLATracker.com.
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Can you give a quote or answer questions about Russian military activity around Japan?-Feel free to reach out to us at info.PLATracker@gmail.com.
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How many observations of Russian military assets are recorded in this tracker?-From 2006 to today, we can tell you the numbers below. Keep in mind that these are only the specific instances which the Japanese government has published. A more complete picture of the security situation is available in our dataset Air Activity Around Japan.
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Aerial Observations-568
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Naval Observations-1751
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