Russia has demanded that Japan withdraw US-made Typhon land-based missile systems deployed on its southwestern island of Kyushu, saying the weapons pose a threat to its national security and regional stability.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Friday that Moscow had formally protested the deployment in a note delivered to the Japanese government on September 3.
According to Zakharova, the Typhon systems are capable of launching medium- and shorter-range missiles. Moscow has repeatedly raised concerns with Tokyo over the deployment of such weapons on Japanese territory, arguing that their presence could affect security and stability in the wider region.
“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 said Moscow had demanded that Japan remove the systems from its territory.
The Typhon system is a US ground-based missile platform designed to provide a mobile launch capability for missiles that can be used against targets at considerable distances. Its deployment in Japan has attracted attention from Russia and China amid heightened military and security tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
Zakharova also linked Moscow's objection to broader concerns over what Russia describes as Japan's remilitarization. She urged Tokyo to fully recognize what Moscow considers the results of World War II, including territorial provisions relating to the southern Kuril Islands.
The territorial dispute over the southern Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, has remained a longstanding source of tension between Moscow and Tokyo. The islands were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War II and remain under Russian administration, while Japan continues to claim them.
The dispute has also contributed to the absence of a formal peace treaty between Russia and Japan formally ending their World War II hostilities.
Zakharova said the issue of the Typhon systems was also raised during a meeting on Wednesday between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and Japanese Ambassador to Russia Akira Muto in Moscow.
Rudenko reportedly urged Tokyo to take Moscow's protest seriously, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.
The Russian demand comes amid broader changes in Japan's defence posture. Tokyo has in recent years increased defence spending and strengthened security cooperation with the United States and other regional partners, citing changes in the security environment surrounding Japan.
Japan's security relationship with Washington is central to its defence policy, with US forces and military assets stationed across the country. The two countries have also been expanding cooperation on missile defence, military exercises and the deployment of capabilities intended to respond to potential regional threats.
Russia views some of these developments with concern, particularly when they involve advanced missile systems and increased military cooperation close to its Far Eastern territory.
Zakharova further said that China had recently delivered a similar diplomatic note to Japan, expressing concern about what Beijing described as Tokyo's “remilitarization” policy. She said China's concerns also included the deployment of Typhon systems on Japanese islands.
The parallel concerns expressed by Moscow and Beijing highlight the growing sensitivity surrounding the deployment of US military capabilities in Japan.
For Japan, closer defence cooperation with the United States is part of its broader response to the regional security environment. For Russia and China, however, the expansion of such capabilities is viewed as contributing to increased military pressure in the region.
The dispute over the Typhon systems therefore reflects wider disagreements among Russia, China, Japan and the United States over military deployments, territorial disputes and the future security architecture of the Asia-Pacific.
Moscow's latest protest makes clear that it wants Tokyo to reverse the deployment and reconsider what Russia characterizes as a broader course of remilitarization. Tokyo's response to the Russian demand will be closely watched as Japan continues to deepen its defence cooperation with Washington.
