Japan has officially logged protest with Russia over the construction of military barracks on the disputed island chain.
Japan has officially logged a protest with Russia over the construction of four barracks on Etorofu and Kunashiri, two islets that are part of the disputed Southern Kurils known in Japan as the Northern Territories, located off Hokkaido in the Sea of Okhotsk in the Northwest Pacific.
The protest was made through official channels by Japanese diplomats in Moscow on December 19, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. TASS news agency revealed earlier this week that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) plans to move troops into the newly constructed barracks in the coming days. Furthermore, the MoD plans to proceed with the construction of facilities for armored vehicles.
The recent military buildup—Japan’s MoD estimates that Russia has over 3,500 troops stationed on the disputed islands—comes weeks before an official meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo and Russian President Vladimir Putin in January. The two leaders agreed in September at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia to step up talks to resolve this ongoing territorial dispute and conclude a peace treaty.
