The Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday reported a rare sighting of Russian warships near Taiwan’s waters, saying that it closely monitored their movements before they sailed away.
The ministry said it detected two Russian corvettes at about 11pm sailing north in waters off eastern Taiwan before leaving the military’s monitoring range from Suao Township (蘇澳) in Yilan County.
The ships were sailing southeast, it said.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan ADIZ
The military monitored the passage of the ships by deploying joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance methods, and dispatching planes and ships to follow their movements, the ministry said.
It did not provide further details, including how far away the Russian warships were from Taiwan’s coast, or identify the two vessels.
Taiwan’s military regularly makes public the movements of Chinese warships operating near Taiwan and of foreign warships, mostly from the US, traveling through the Taiwan Strait, but it has rarely reported Russian warships navigating in the region.
Russian state news agency Interfax reported that Russia’s “detachment of Pacific Fleet warships entered the Philippine Sea after crossing the South China Sea.”
The warships were performing tasks as part of a long-range sea crossing, which included “a simulated naval battle to repel a missile attack of a simulated enemy from the sea,” Interfax said.
Taiwan has imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, covering exports such as computer technology and machinery products.
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