The Japanese ships
The Tsushima was a small light cruiser, but still had somewhat more firepower than the Novik. The Chitose was also a protected cruiser but a much more heavily armed one; once this ship arrived on the scene the Novik had no chance in a firefight, and could only hope to run or be destroyed.
The Russian ships
The Novik was a small light cruiser with 6 4.7-inch guns. It was a very fast ship for the time, supposedly lightly built like an oversized destroyer, but smaller than most cruisers it would have to face. In the chaotic aftermath of the Yellow Sea Battle (a failed breakout attempt by the Russian battle fleet from Port Arthur), most of the Russian ships returned to the threatened port but several headed south to be interned in various neutral ports, and the Novik tried to race around up to Russia. It was trapped by a superior Japanese force at Korsa Kovsk, Sakhalin, and was scuttled by its crew after the fight became hopeless. (Later raised by the Japanese and renamed Suzuya)
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