Govt protests planned Russian military drills around northern territories

The government has lodged a protest against Russia through diplomatic channels about its plan to include areas around the northern territories in large-scale military drills in the Far East from Aug. 30, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said Thursday.

The government requested that the northern territories be excluded from the areas for the drills given that “the exercise is incompatible with Japan’s position on the northern territories, and is thus totally unacceptable.”

The government also expressed concern about increasing Russian military activity in the vicinity of Japan.