The Russian Foreign Ministry warned the Japanese Embassy of “adequate countermeasures” in connection with joint military exercises between Tokyo and Washington

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed a “strong protest” to the Japanese Embassy in connection with the holding of joint military exercises with the United States in the country.

The department's statement notes that the exercises, which are scheduled for the end of October in Japan, will also take place in areas of the island of Hokkaido, located in close proximity to the borders of Russia.

The Foreign Ministry warned the Japanese Embassy of “inevitable adequate countermeasures to strengthen the defense capability and protect the sovereignty” of Russia. The department also stated that “any attempts by the Japanese side to express their ‘concerns’” about Russia’s actions would be “inappropriate.”

The Foreign Ministry called the practice of conducting such exercises “categorically unacceptable,” pointing out that its scope is expanding every year, “including through the involvement of non-regional NATO member states in the maneuvers.”

• The exercise, called Keen Sword-25, involving 45,000 troops over 10 days from October 23, was announced at the end of September. As part of these exercises, the United States also plans to send the HIMARS missile system to the Japanese ground forces base on Ishigaki Island. Also, 40 ships and 370 aircraft will participate in the exercises.
• The Russian Foreign Ministry has already expressed protest after the previous joint exercises between Japan and the United States called Orient Shield, which took place in July 2024 near the Russian borders. That Foreign Ministry message also spoke of the “categorical inadmissibility of provocative military activity” near the Far Eastern borders and warned of “taking adequate countermeasures to strengthen defense capabilities and protect Russia’s sovereignty.”