▲ Iturup Island in the Kuril Islands
Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Japan, Russia has notified Japan that it will conduct bombing drills in the four disputed Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories.
The Nikkei reported today (October 15) that Russia recently informed the Japanese government of its plan to carry out bombing exercises on Iturup, one of the four Kuril Islands.
The entire training period is scheduled from October 13 to 17, and Russia has also announced the closure of the airspace over all four Kuril Islands, including Kunashir, Habomai, and Shikotan, from October 10 to 16.
In response, the Japanese government lodged a protest through diplomatic channels on October 13, stating that "Russia's military buildup in the Northern Territories is unacceptable."
Relations between the two countries have been on a downward spiral since the Japanese government implemented successive sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
Tensions deepened in particular after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup Island last August, drawing a strong backlash from Japan.
The Japanese government provoked Russia last month by holding joint drills with the United States and Australia in Hokkaido, adjacent to the four Kuril Islands, and enacted additional sanctions on October 2 banning the operation, repair, and provision of insurance for 35 Russian vessels.
On October 13, a delegation consisting of government officials and entrepreneurs from China's Heilongjiang Province visited Iturup Island, prompting further protests from Japan.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated at the House of Representatives the previous day that the move is "absolutely unacceptable" and that Japan's position has been conveyed to the Russian side through diplomatic channels.
On the same day, it was announced that a Japanese journalist working as a resident correspondent for the Hokkaido Shimbun in Russia had been arrested in Sakhalin on espionage charges.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly protested by summoning the Russian Ambassador to Japan the previous day.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.