Japan Protests Russian Military Drills Near Disputed Kuril Islands
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the military drills will involve dozens of warships and aircraft, as well as more than 13,000 servicemen.
Japanese diplomats lodged a formal protest over Russian military exercises near the disputed southern Kuril Islands, according to Japanese media reports on Wednesday. The Russian Defense Ministry announced the drills on Tuesday, involving 60 warships, 30 aircraft, and over 13,000 servicemen in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Japan claims the four southernmost islands of the Kuril chain as its Northern Territories, while Russia administers them as part of its Far Eastern Sakhalin region. The drills targeted two of the four islands, with Russia also designating maritime exclusion zones around the remaining two islands for drills extending until August 29.
Additionally, missile test warnings were issued through August 6. Japan's protest emphasized that it "cannot accept" Russia's actions to strengthen its military presence around the disputed islands. The exact response of Russia's ambassador to Japan was not immediately clear. The Kuril Islands' status has hindered the formal signing of a World War II peace treaty between Russia and Japan.
Meanwhile, Japan has been increasing its military spending, strengthening defense pacts, and deploying missile launchers to its outer islands. The country's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi emphasized the need for a "sense of urgency and crisis" in the military, citing growing threats from China, Russia, and North Korea.
Written by urgent.news from The Moscow Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
