Moscow doesn’t ‘give a damn’ as Japan warns Russia they ‘will resolutely defend’ their territory

The Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned Moscow on Tuesday they will resolutely “defend Japan’s territory” after Russian fighter jets violated their airspace on Monday.

The Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara told reporters this was the fist violation of their airspace since 2019.

Kihara said, “We confirmed today that a Russian Il-38 patrol aircraft has violated our airspace over our territorial waters north of Rebun Island, Hokkaido, on three occasions.

“Today we lodged a very serious protest with the Russian government via diplomatic channels and strongly urged them to prevent a recurrence.”

Japanese fighter jets fire at Russian warplanes violating its airspace

He told media on a visit in New York the violation by three Russian warplanes is “extremely regrettable.”

The Prime Minister said, “We will resolutely defend Japan’s territory, territorial waters, and airspace.”

Kihara said this was “the first publicly announced airspace incursion by a Russian aircraft since June 2019,” after a Tu-95 nuclear capable bomber violated airspace in southern Okinawa.

On Monday Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi announced during an emergency meeting on Monday that Russian warplanes violated airspace close to the Rebun Island in Hokkaido on three occasions between 1pm and 3pm Japanese time.

Japanese fighter jets were deployed and they fired flares at the Russian warplanes which has cause anger in Moscow.

Since the Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine tensions between Tokyo and Moscow have escalated as a result.

Japan and Russia are locked in diplomatic battles over the contested “Northern Territories” as both claim the “disputed” region to be theirs.

In February this year the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that Japan “remains fully committed” in resolving the contested islands.

But the Russian President Dmitry Mevedev who is also deputy chairman of the Security Council, aggressively blasted, “We don’t give a damn about the ‘feelings of the Japanese’ concerning the so-called ‘Northern territories.’

“He asserted: “They’re not ‘disputed territories,’ but Russia.”