Japan has handed a note of protest to Russia after Moscow notified Tokyo of plans to conduct missile tests near the disputed Kuril Islands, the Japanese government announced, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
“We handed a note of protest to Russia in response to the notification of plans to conduct missile tests near the Kuril Islands“, a Japanese government spokesman said.
According to the Japanese news agency Kyodo, the Russian Pacific Fleet has already begun missile testing, although no specific date for the operation was specified in advance.
A unit equipped with the “Bagration“ coastal missile system participated in the exercise. The missile cruiser "Varyag", the flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, and the nuclear submarine "Omsk" also took part in the exercise.
According to the Russian Navy, an attack on enemy ships was simulated during the exercise. All targets at a distance of at least 3,000 kilometers were hit, Kyodo reported.
Tensions over the Kuril Islands have further intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the region this month. Japanese authorities sharply criticized the visit, which led to an exchange of protest notes between Moscow and Tokyo.
The dispute between the two countries is related to four islands that Soviet troops captured in 1945 in the final days of World War II. Japan calls them the Northern Territories and continues to claim sovereignty over them.
Relations between Moscow and Tokyo have deteriorated further since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine. Japan supports Kiev and is involved in efforts to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses by supplying Patriot missiles via the United States.
The new Russian military activities near the disputed islands come against the backdrop of already strained relations between Moscow and Tokyo and could further complicate dialogue on the territorial dispute.