Media: Japan’s defense Minister expressed his protest against the deployment of troops in the Kuril Islands
According to Kyodo, Tomomi Inada protested against the deployment of Russian divisions on the southern Kuril Islands and the stationing there of rockets of a class “earth — ship”.
TOKYO, March 20. /Offset. TASS Vasily Golovnin/. The Minister of defense of Japan Tomomi Inada protested against the deployment of Russian divisions on the southern Kuril Islands and the stationing there of rockets of a class “earth — ship”. According to the news Agency Kyodo, she said this at a bilateral meeting in Tokyo with defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
In 2016 on the South Kuril Islands Iturup and Kunashir have been placed coastal missile complexes “Bastion” and “Ball”. In 2015, there were put on combat duty anti-aircraft missile systems “tor-M2U”. Now the possibility of creating a Pacific fleet’s base on the Islands of the Great Kuril ridge.
In addition, in February the head of the defense Ministry reported that this year it is planned to complete the establishment of four new divisions, including for the protection of the Kuril Islands. This statement was negatively met in Tokyo, and the government sent a protest to the Russian side, which stated that such strengthening Russia’s military presence on the Kuril Islands to the Japanese position in respect of these areas. As repeatedly stated by the Russian side, the deployment of troops and missiles on the Kuril Islands is a sovereign right of the Russian Federation.