Japan spots four Russian amphibious warships off its coast

That's according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

Pictures of the amphibious transports, typically used for landing expeditionary forces ashore, published by Japan's defense ministry showed what appeared to be military trucks loaded onto the deck of one of the vessels.

When asked whether these ships could be bound for Ukraine, a ministry spokesman said: "We don't know where they are heading, but their heading suggest it is possible."

A Japanese Self Defense Force maritime patrol first detected the Russian vessels, which can carry dozens of tanks, other military vehicles and hundreds of troops, on Tuesday and monitored them as they passed West from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan through the narrow Tsuruga Strait separating Japan's main Honshu island from Hokkaido island on Wednesday.

At the same time, the spokesman said that it is unusual for Russian ships to pass through the strait so close to Japanese territory.