Around 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 22, 2024, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force confirmed eight vessels, including the Chinese Navy’s Renhai-class guided missile destroyer (ship number “104”), Luyang III-class guided missile destroyer (ship number “117”), Jiangkai II-class frigate (ship number “547”), Fuchi-class supply ship (ship number “889”), and two Russian Navy Udaloy I-class destroyers (ship numbers “548” and “564”) and two Grisha V-class small frigates (ship numbers “332” and “375”), proceeding northeast in the waters about 300 km west of Okushiri Island (Hokkaido).
Then, on Monday, the 23rd, it was confirmed that these eight vessels proceeded eastward through the Soya Strait. Additionally, at around 11pm on the 22nd (Sunday), the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces observed a Chinese Navy Dongdiao-class intelligence gathering vessel (ship number 794) heading east in the waters about 60km northwest of Rebun Island (Hokkaido).
Then, it was confirmed that the vessel had headed east through the Soya Strait from the 22nd (Sunday) to the 23rd (Monday).
Of these vessels, five of them, the Chinese Navy’s Renhai-class guided missile destroyer (ship number 104), Luyang III-class guided missile destroyer (ship number 117), Jiangkai II-class frigate (ship number 547), Fuchi-class supply ship (ship number 889), and Dongdiao-class intelligence gathering vessel (ship number 794), are the same vessels that headed northeast through the Tsushima Strait from the 7th (Saturday) to the 8th (Sunday) of the same month.
The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces conducted surveillance and information gathering using the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s 11th Escort Squadron “Yugiri” (Yokosuka), 15th Escort Squadron “Hamagiri” (Ominato), 1st Missile Boat Squadron “Kumataka” (Yoichi), and 2nd Air Group “P-3C” (Hachinohe).