Japan Protests Russia's Missile Deployment on Disputed Islands

"The deployment contributes to the Russian military buildup on the Northern Territories and conflicts with our country's position that the islands are our inherent territory," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a press conference.

The protest, lodged through diplomatic channels on Tuesday, said the missile deployment on Etorofu Island "cannot be tolerated," Kato said, Kyodo News reported.

Etorofu is among the four disputed islands, called and claimed as the Northern Territories by Japan and administered by Russia, which calls them the Southern Kurils.

"We will continue to watch with interest the moves of the Russian military in the Far East, including the Northern Territories, and the military's impact on the security aspect," Kato said.

Russia's Eastern Military District and its TV station said Tuesday the S-300V4 land-to-air missile system was deployed on Etorofu Island, according to Kato.

The dispute over the islands, seized by the Soviet Union after Japan's surrender in World War II in 1945, has prevented the two countries from concluding a postwar peace treaty.

tasnim