Russia conducts missile drills near Southern Kuril Islands, Japan protests

(Central News Agency, Tokyo, comprehensive foreign news report on the 21st) The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 20th that it will conduct missile launch drills around the Southern Kuril Islands, a territorial dispute with Japan. Prior to this, Russian President Vladimir Putin had visited Etoru Island, one of the islands, and the Japanese government had expressed its protest to Russia.

According to reports from Kyodo News, Yomiuri Shimbun, NHK and Agence France-Presse, the Russian Presidential Office previously confirmed on the 13th that Vladimir Putin had visited Etorofu (Iturup in Russian), one of the Southern Kurils (called the Northern Territory or the Four Northern Islands in Japan).

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 20th that the Pacific Fleet would conduct exercises in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk around the Southern Kuril Islands and other places to "lock on imaginary enemy ships and launch missiles."

According to an announcement by the Russian Ministry of Defense, troops operating the shore-based anti-ship missile system "Bastion" have launched anti-ship missiles from islands in the Kuril Islands. Russia has previously deployed the "Bastion" system on Eltor Island in 2016 and Matsuwa Island in the Kuril Islands in 2021.

During this exercise, the Pacific Fleet flagship "Varyag" missile cruiser launched anti-ship missiles, and the nuclear-powered submarine "Omsk" launched cruise missiles. The exercise simulated a strike against an enemy ship and claimed to have successfully hit all targets at a distance of 300 kilometers.

The Pacific Fleet also held large-scale exercises in coastal defense and other scenarios this month in the Sea of ​​Japan, Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Northwest Pacific, with more than 13,000 troops participating.

The Sankei Shimbun analyzed that Russia has repeatedly stated that Japan's support for Ukraine "fundamentally undermines the foundation of Japan-Russia relations laid over the past few decades" and asserted that Japan's anti-Russian policy "goes against the interests of the Japanese people." Russia hinted that its logic is that "the responsibility for causing this situation lies with Japan, which continues to adopt anti-Russian policies."

When Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin met with Japanese Ambassador to Russia Akira Muto on the 18th, he also warned that if Japan continues to support Ukraine and maintain anti-Russian policies, Russia will take countermeasures.

Therefore, Japan's Sankei Shimbun analyzed that Russia may intend to contain Japan by showing off its military strength, and try to use territorial issues to put pressure on Japan, so that Japan will reduce its support to Ukraine and rethink its relations with Russia.

In response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Eltor Island, the Liberal Democratic Party held a joint meeting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other units today.

During the meeting, Kei Takagi, chairman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Liberal Democratic Party, said: "Our country implements the position that 'the four northern islands are Japan's inherent territory' and will never tolerate island landings. We must move Japan's diplomacy forward based on a firm stance."