Russian President Vladimir Putin presides over a ministerial meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, on Oct. At the meeting on the same day, Putin discussed how to deal with super-strong Western sanctions in response to the invasion of Ukraine. [사진 출처 = 연합뉴스]Reports have emerged that Russia, which has invaded Ukraine, is also making suspicious moves in Japan.
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported on the 13th that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces have strengthened their vigilance following the Russian military conducted large-scale maritime exercises in Hokkaido and the Sea of Okhotsk this year. At the same time, it is paying attention to the fact that Russia is trying to keep pace with China, which is spurring its maritime expansion.
Asahi said that 24 Russian naval vessels conducted a training exercise in Japanese waters last month, and 10 warships that appear to have participated in the exercise between the 10th and 11th passed through the Tsugaru Strait. explained to be rare.
The Ministry of Defense is also keeping an eye on the direction and purpose of the Russian military’s navigation. Currently, Japan is actively participating in economic sanctions once morest Russia. Conflict between the two countries is deepening as Russia also designated Japan as an unfriendly country. Analysts say that Russia made such a choice to provoke Japan.
Minister of Defense Nobuo Kishi pointed out that “Russia’s armed invasion of Ukraine is an atrocity that shakes the very foundation of international order. “I think it’s one of the demonstrations that Russia, which is invading Ukraine, has the ability to conduct such exercises in Asia,” he said.
In addition, there is a fierce territorial dispute between Japan and Russia over the four islands of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai, which are the southernmost islands of the Kuril Islands. Russian President Vladimir Putin last week signed a bill designating the islands as duty-free zones. As the world is proposing sanctions once morest Russia, it is observed that even if a special duty-free zone is established, it will not be easy to find foreign companies to enter and conduct business in this zone. looks like a decision Previously, Japan claimed that these islands were their own territory and demanded the return of their territorial rights, and Russia countered that there was no reason to hand over the islands as they occupied them during the war.
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