Russia is conducting military exercises on disputed islands with Japan

Russia is conducting military exercises on Tokyo-claimed islands, Japanese media reported on Saturday, a few days after Moscow cut off peace talks with Japan over sanctions imposed on it over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s Eastern Military District says it is conducting military exercises in the Kuril Islands with more than 3,000 troops and hundreds of military equipment, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported on Friday.

He did not say where the island chain, which connects the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, was being held. The Japanese media reported that they were in territory occupied by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II and claiming Tokyo.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry and the Office of the Prime Minister of Japan could not be reached outside the office to comment on the exercises.

The territorial dispute over the four islets – which Russia says are part of the Kuril Chain, which Japan calls its northern territories – has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from reaching a peace treaty that would officially end hostilities. .

Japan reacted angrily on Tuesday after Russia withdrew from lengthy talks on the treaty and froze joint economic projects related to the islands in retaliation for Japan’s accession to Western sanctions for the Moscow invasion a month ago. Read the whole story

Russia’s exercises involved repelling amphibious warfare, including destroying defense aircraft carrying troops and testing skills to operate anti-tank guided missile fire control systems, Interfax reported.

“In addition, units of the Air Force are carrying out a series of measures to locate, identify and destroy aircraft of a virtual enemy that would carry out an airborne attack,” the agency said, citing the regional press service.

Source: Capital

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