Japan Lodges Protest Over Russian Drills Near Kuril Islands

Japan has formally complained to Russia over ongoing military maneuvers near the disputed southern Kuril Islands, according to Japanese media. The Russian Defense Ministry announced the exercises on Tuesday, stating that about 60 warships, 30 aircraft and more than 13,000 personnel are taking part in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the northwestern Pacific.

The Sankei Shimbun reported that Moscow had informed Tokyo of multi-day live-fire exercises near two of the four islands that Japan calls its Northern Territories. For the other two islands, Russia declared maritime exclusion zones for activities running until August 29, along with missile test notices valid until August 6.

Japan acted through diplomatic channels, saying it cannot accept Russia’s moves to strengthen its military presence around the islands. The islands are administered by Russia as part of the Sakhalin region, but Japan considers them illegally occupied since the Soviet Union took them at the end of World War II.

Neither the Russian embassy in Tokyo nor Japan’s foreign ministry responded publicly to the reports, and it was unclear if Moscow’s ambassador had been summoned.

Japan has been steadily shifting away from its pacifist stance, raising defense spending, signing new security agreements and deploying missile launchers on its southern islands. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday that the country’s armed forces must be strengthened with a sense of urgency and crisis. A new government white paper also warns of increasing threats from China, Russia and North Korea.

The document now describes Russian-Chinese military cooperation as a deepening strategic partnership, rather than a serious concern, noting more frequent joint air patrols near Japan’s main islands.

Japan joined Western nations in imposing sanctions on Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.