Russian Official Denies Receiving Japan Protest over Missile Drill

June 19, 2018

Moscow- A Japanese government complaint over Russia's planned missile firing exercise off one of the disputed northwestern Pacific islands may have not been relayed to senior officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The Japanese embassy in Moscow said Monday it had lodged a protest with the Russian government after learning that Russian forces would conduct a missile firing exercise for three days from Tuesday on the coast of Etorofu, one of the four islands off the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido that were seized by Soviet troops in the closing days of World War II.

But Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, who is in charge of relations with Japan, said Monday he had not received the complaint, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

In lodging the protest on Friday, the Japanese embassy argued that the missile firing drill could lead to Russia's military buildup on the four islands and, thus, runs counter to the stance of the Japanese government.

The same day, the Japan Coast Guard issued navigational warnings in waters south of Etoforu, where Russia deploys the state-of-the-art Bastion surface-to-ship missile system. Jiji Press