Japan’s Military Tracks Russian Intelligence-Gathering Vessel Near Okinawa

The ship, identified by the hull number "535," was observed sailing westward approximately 80 kilometers southwest of Okinawa Island at around 11:00 a.m.

TOKYO—On March 4, 2025, the Japanese Ministry of Defense and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) reported the sighting of a Russian Navy Vishnya-class intelligence-gathering vessel operating near Japanese waters.

The Soviet Meridian-class intelligence collection ship Kareliya (SSV-535) steaming alongside the U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser USS Texas (CGN-39). Texas in 1988

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The ship, identified by the hull number "535," was observed sailing westward approximately 80 kilometers southwest of Okinawa Island at around 11:00 a.m. The vessel’s route took it through Japan’s contiguous zone—a maritime area extending 24 nautical miles from the coast where Japan exercises certain jurisdictional rights—from the southwest of Okinawa’s main island to the west of Torishima, before it exited the zone and proceeded toward the East China Sea.

The Ministry of Defense emphasized that it would maintain vigilance and continue collecting information in response to the Russian ship’s movements, with the JMSDF deploying a P-3C patrol aircraft from the 5th Air Group based in Naha to monitor the situation.

Japan Tracks Russian Intelligence Vessel Near Okinawa Again After Being Spotted Multiple Times In Recent Weeks