ANKARA 

Japan on Saturday claimed that five Chinese and Russian warships had sailed through the Soya Strait between the Japan's northern island of Hokkaido and Russia's Sakhalin island.

Nine of the naval vessels, which passed into the Sea of Okhotsk, were involved in a joint exercise in the Sea of Japan on July 18-23, the Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported, citing a Japanese Defense Ministry statement.

"The Chinese and Russian vessels — destroyers, frigates and supply ships — were located about 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of Rebun Island in Hokkaido around 3 p.m. (0600GMT) Friday and had moved eastward through the strait by Saturday," it said, adding that Tokyo was monitoring the ships' movements.

Last week, Chinese and Russian naval and aviation forces hold joint exercise in the Sea of Japan, Ten vessels and 30 aircraft were involved, according to Chinese media.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid