Russia condemned the upcoming joint military exercises by Japan, Australia, and the United States on Tuesday, and stated that it has officially complained to Tokyo about the deployment of American Typhoon missile launchers in this regard, a move considered a threat to national security, reports Reuters.
The “Orient Shield” maneuvers are set to take place in Japan between September 8 and 24, and according to the Japanese agency Kyodo News, they will involve 3,700 soldiers from the three countries, making the exercise the largest of its kind to date.
For the first time, the exercises will also involve the American Typhon missile systems with medium range of action, which can launch SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Maria Zaharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told reporters at a press conference in Vladivostok that Russia wants Japan to return to a pacifist policy and is concerned that the exercises will take place in Japanese regions close to Russia’s borders, in the Far East.
Russia lodged a protest at the Japanese embassy in Moscow on Monday, Zaharova added.
“The Japanese side was firmly informed that provocative military activity near our country’s remote eastern borders is categorically unacceptable”, Zaharova stated.
“Attention was also drawn to information suggesting that, within these exercises, there is an intention to deploy the American Typhon ground systems. The embassy was clearly communicated that the deployment of such weapons on Japanese territory, including under the pretext of military exercises, is absolutely unacceptable, as it represents a threat to Russia’s security. A warning was issued regarding the countermeasures taken by Moscow, intended to ensure an adequate level of national security,” further specified the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
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