Russia has started operational exercises in the waters of the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, which will last until June 20, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Monday, citing Reuters and Agerpres.
“More than 60 warships and support ships, approximately 35 naval aviation aircraft, coastal forces and more than 11,000 servicemen are involved in the exercises of the Pacific Fleet,” the ministry said in a message on the Telegram messenger.
“At the moment, the forces of the fleet are deployed in the designated areas and have begun the practical implementation of tasks in accordance with the training plans,” the press service of the Pacific Fleet (TOF) said in a statement, as quoted by the independent news agency “Interfax”.
According to the TOF, during the exercises, the army will search for and escort imitation submarines of the enemy, conduct combat training against floating and air targets with the use of missile and artillery fire.
Russia launched the naval exercises just over a week after Japan announced at the end of the G7 summit it was hosting that it would impose new sanctions on Moscow and condemned Russia’s deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus.
“As the only country that suffered atomic bombing during the war, Japan will never accept Russia’s nuclear threat, let alone its use,” Hirokazu Matsuno, chief of staff of the Japanese prime minister, said at a press conference.
His comments were immediately sharply condemned by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Tensions between Japan and Russia
The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated that they are evaluating the implementation of the sanctions imposed by Japan regarding its national security and economy and will not leave Tokyo’s “illegal actions” unanswered.
Russian naval exercises in the region come after Russia’s defense ministry announced in April that it had placed its Pacific Fleet on high alert as part of a surprise inspection aimed at strengthening its defense capabilities.
“The main purpose of this inspection is to increase the ability of the Armed Forces to repel the aggression of a potential enemy from the ocean and the sea,” Defense Minister Serhiy Shoigu said in an interview on state television.
The review led to the dismissal and replacement of the commander of Russia’s Pacific Fleet.
Tensions between Russia and Japan have escalated without precedent since the end of World War II after the island nation joined Western sanctions against Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine and raised questions about its own territories, which it says are illegal. occupied by Vladimir Putin’s country.
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Source: Hot News
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