Russia demands Japan withdraw US Typhon missile systems from island

Russia said Friday that it had demanded Japan withdraw US Typhon land-based missile systems deployed on its southwestern Kyushu island.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow sent a protest note to Japan on Sept. 3 over the deployment of the US-made systems, which are designed to launch medium- and shorter-range missiles.

She said Russia had repeatedly raised concerns with Tokyo that the deployment of such weapons on Japanese territory poses threats to Russian national security, regional peace, and stability.

Russia “emphasized the inadmissibility of advanced deployment by Japan on its territory under any proposal of the above-mentioned installations, regardless of the duration and methods of their placement,” Zakharova said.

She added that Moscow demanded Japan withdraw the systems from its territory.

Zakharova also said Russia urged Japan to fully recognize the results of World War II, including their territorial provisions concerning the southern Kuril Islands, and abandon what Moscow described as a course of remilitarization.

On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko raised the issue with Japanese Ambassador Akira Muto in Moscow and urged Tokyo to take the protest note seriously, she said.

Zakharova added that China recently sent a similar note to Japan, expressing concern over Tokyo’s “remilitarization” policy, including the deployment of Typhon systems on the islands.