Russia Warns Japan Over US Missile Systems in Joint Drills
Russia condemns upcoming Japan-US-Australia drills and warns against deploying US Typhon missile systems on Japanese territory.
Russia has formally protested to Japan over the planned deployment of American Typhon missile systems during upcoming joint military exercises with the United States and Australia, warning that the move poses a direct threat to its national security.
The exercises, known as "Orient Shield," are scheduled to run from September 8 to 24 in Japan. Reports indicate they will involve approximately 3,700 personnel from the three nations, making it the largest iteration of the drills to date. For the first time, the exercise will include US Typhon mid-range missile systems, which are capable of launching SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Vladivostok that Moscow wants Japan to return to a policy of pacifism and expressed concern that the drills would occur in regions close to Russia's Far East borders. She confirmed that a complaint was lodged with the Japanese embassy in Moscow on Monday.
"The Japanese side was firmly informed that provocative military activity near our country's far eastern borders is categorically unacceptable," Zakharova said. She added that Moscow made clear the deployment of such weapons on Japanese territory, even under the pretext of military exercises, is absolutely unacceptable and warned of compensatory countermeasures to ensure Russia's security.
The US military reportedly sent its Typhon missile system to Kagoshima Prefecture in June for joint exercises with Japanese Self-Defence Forces. The systems were scheduled to participate in this month's drills before being moved to a US base in Japan around mid-October.
The protest comes amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Tokyo. The two nations have exchanged a series of complaints in recent weeks following President Vladimir Putin's visit to a disputed Russian-controlled island off northeast Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the trip "absolutely unacceptable," prompting Moscow to summon the Japanese ambassador over what it described as anti-Russian remarks.