Russia Issues Formal Protest Over US Missile Deployment in Japan Exercises

Russia on Tuesday condemned upcoming joint military exercises between Japan, Australia and the United States, delivering a formal protest to the Japanese Embassy in Moscow over the deployment of S. Typhon missile launchers for the drills. The protest was lodged on Monday, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who spoke at a briefing on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

Zakharova said the Japanese side was "firmly informed that provocative military activity near our country's far eastern borders is categorically unacceptable." She added that attention was drawn to reports that American Typhon ground-based systems would be deployed as part of the exercises, and that the embassy was made clear that "the deployment of such weapons on Japanese territory, including under the pretext of military exercises, is absolutely unacceptable as it poses a threat to Russia's security." She also said a warning was issued regarding "compensatory countermeasures" by Moscow aimed at ensuring an appropriate level of national security.

Orient Shield Exercises to Include Typhon System for First Time

The Orient Shield exercises are scheduled to take place from September 8 to 24 across Japan, including in Hokkaido, according to the Defense Ministry in Tokyo. Reports cited by multiple outlets say the drills will involve around 3,700 personnel from Japan, the S. and Australia, making them the largest iteration of the exercise so far. However, TASS, citing the Japanese Ground Forces command, reported that about 1,700 military personnel will take part, which it said would be a record for joint exercises involving the three countries. The discrepancy in troop numbers was not reconciled in the reports.

For the first time, the drills will include S. Typhon mid-range missile systems, which can launch SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Typhon system, capable of firing Tomahawk missiles with a range of up to 1,600 kilometers, has been described by the Japan Times as effectively putting parts of Russia and China within striking distance. The deployment of the system in Japan marks its third use in joint exercises, according to Kyodo News as cited by TASS.

Russia Cites Security Concerns and Calls for Pacifism

Zakharova said Moscow considers the exercises particularly sensitive because they will take place in Japanese regions close to Russia's Far Eastern borders. She reiterated Russia's call for Japan to return to its postwar policy of pacifism, noting that Japan has increasingly strengthened its military capabilities in response to perceived security threats from China, North Korea and Russia.

Moscow has warned that the deployment of American missile systems could trigger unspecified "compensatory countermeasures," a warning that analysts suggest reflects Russia's broader concern over Japan's expanding defense cooperation with the United States and other regional partners. The Modern Diplomacy report noted that the presence of the Typhon system allows the United States to bring ground-based long-range strike capabilities closer to potential areas of strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific.

Missile Deployment and Territorial Disputes Add to Tensions

The S. military sent its Typhon midrange missile system to Kagoshima Prefecture in June for joint exercises with the Japanese Self-Defence Forces, according to the Japan Times. The launchers are expected to participate in the September exercises before being moved to a S. military base in Japan around mid-October, as reported by Kyodo News. Earlier, in May, there were reports of the S. deploying Typhon and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to southwestern Japan, following a previous deployment in Yamaguchi Prefecture last September that drew residents' criticism for remaining longer than initially explained.

The missile dispute comes amid a series of diplomatic protests exchanged between Russia and Japan following Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to a disputed Russian-controlled island near Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the trip "absolutely unacceptable," prompting Moscow to summon Japan's ambassador to protest what it described as anti-Russian remarks by Takaichi and her foreign minister. The territorial dispute centers on four islands seized by the Soviet Union in the final days of the Second World War, which Japan calls the Northern Territories and Russia considers part of the Kuril Islands.