Russian Outrage Over US-Japan Military Drills

The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned Japan's plans to conduct joint military exercises with the United States near the Russian border. The ministry criticized the expanding scale of these drills, citing the involvement of non-regional NATO states. Russia warned of potential countermeasures to protect its sovereignty.

In a forceful statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned upcoming joint military exercises between Japan and the United States scheduled later this month and next. The drills are planned on Japanese territories near the Russian frontier, a move that Moscow views as provocative and unacceptable.

Moscow's disapproval was intensified by the expanding scale of the exercises, involving NATO members outside the region—a factor that underscores its strategic concerns. The foreign ministry expressed extreme regret over what it described as Japan's short-sighted oversight of its diplomatic warnings.

The Russian government has notified the Japanese embassy in Moscow, emphasizing the inevitability of 'appropriate countermeasures' to safeguard Russia's sovereignty. The ministry's statements suggest heightened geopolitical tensions as Russia prepares its defensive strategies.

(With inputs from agencies.)