Japan's Ministry of Defense said Thursday that it spotted four Russian amphibious transports, which can carry dozens of tanks and hundreds of troops, sailing close to its islands as they traveled west.
Pictures of the transports, which are typically used for landing expeditionary forces ashore, were published by the ministry and showed what appeared to be military trucks loaded onto one of the vessels.
When asked if they could be bound for Ukraine, a Japanese Defense Ministry spokesman told Reuters, ''It is possible.''
''We don't know where they are heading,'' but their heading west suggests it is possible, the spokesman said.
A Japanese Self Defense Force maritime patrol first became aware of the Russian vessels on Tuesday and monitored them as they traveled west from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan through the narrow Tsugaru Strait, which separates Japan's main Honshu island from Hokkaido island.
The military spokesman told Reuters it is unusual for Russian ships to come so close to Japanese territory.
Moscow may need to resupply its troops with new equipment, as Ukrainian fighters have done significant damage to Russian ground forces with Western-supplied antitank weapons.
On Wednesday, NATO allies said they would continue aiding Ukraine as it resists the Russian invasion.
The trans-Atlantic alliance has already supplied 20,000 anti-tank and other weapons to Ukraine, according to Reuters.
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