According to a press release issued by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on Tuesday, two North Korean schooners were detained off the coast of the Kito-Yamato sandbar within Russia's exclusive economic zone. Members of the FSB's border security division were carrying out a routine patrol when they detained the vessels.

Accompanying the two schooners were several smaller vessels. One schooner contained a crew of 21 individuals, while the other was crewed by over 45 people. Members of the second schooner opened fire on an FSB boarding party, injuring three officers.