Japan stated on Friday, August 21, that it had lodged a protest with Russia over reports of missile tests conducted near the disputed Kuril Islands, which Russian President Vladimir Putin visited earlier this month.
Bilateral relations between the countries have long been complicated by the dispute over the Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories. In 1945, the islands came under the control of the Soviet Union, after which the Japanese population was expelled. “We have lodged a protest in response to reports of plans to conduct missile tests,” a Japanese government representative told AFP.
Russian missile tests and Japan’s reaction
Russia’s Pacific Fleet reported on Thursday that it had already conducted missile tests, although the exact timing was not specified. The fleet’s statement said that “during planned exercises, the forces of the Pacific Fleet launched a missile strike on targets off the coast of the South Kuril Islands. The targets simulated enemy ships and were located at a distance of more than 300 km.”
The crew of the guard missile cruiser Varyag launched two anti‑ship missiles Vulkan, and the nuclear submarine Omsk launched cruise missiles Granit. Simultaneously, the crew of the coastal missile complex Bastion on the Kuril Islands struck with an Oniks missile.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told journalists on Thursday during a trip to Oman that “the increase in Russia’s military presence in the Northern Territories, including these missile exercises, contradicts Japan’s position on the Northern Territories and is unacceptable.”
Putin’s visit and deteriorating relations
President Putin made his first official visit to the islands, which have been under Russian administration since 1945, on August 13. Following this, Japan summoned the Russian ambassador, to which Moscow responded with a similar step.
Putin visited the islands after a trip to the neighboring Russian island of Sakhalin, where the Russian Navy was conducting exercises. His visit was the first by a Russian president to these islands since Dmitry Medvedev’s trip in 2010.
After Putin’s visit, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that the islands “are an integral part of Japan’s territory both historically and under international law.”
Relations between Japan and Russia have deteriorated since the start of Russia’s full‑scale war against Ukraine in 2022. Japan joined other G7 countries in imposing sanctions on Moscow and providing assistance to Kyiv.
Ukraine, like the United States, recognizes Japan’s sovereignty over the disputed islands. Analysts suggest that Putin’s visit to the Kurils may have been intended to warn Japan against further deepening its support for Ukraine, including the potential direct supply of Patriot missiles, as well as closer cooperation with NATO.
Currently, Japan provides Ukraine with only non‑lethal defense assistance. Although Japan has relaxed restrictions on defense exports in recent years, it is still prohibited from directly supplying lethal military equipment to a country at war.
Source: Channel NewsAsia
