Japan Fires Without Warning Near Russian Border
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japan Coast Guard vessel mistakenly fired during military exercises near Iturup Island (called Kunashiri Island by Russia) without issuing a warning to nearby ships.
The statement notes that on the 23rd, the staff of the "Kawagiri" patrol boat from the Nemuro Coast Guard Division in Hokkaido made a mistake while conducting machine gun firing training along the coast of Shiretoko by failing to issue navigation warnings to nearby vessels.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that before the regional Coast Guard Command realized that no corresponding warning was issued and ordered the cessation of fire, the Japanese ship used a 13 mm machine gun to fire 66 rounds. The entire incident lasted approximately 53 minutes.
The first regional headquarters and other agencies are investigating the cause of the incident. There were no reports of nearby ships passing through or any damage caused. It is understood that there have been no claims filed by the Russian side.
To the east of this region lies Kunashir Island (called Etorofu Island by Japan).
Russian-Japanese relations have been overshadowed by the shadow of history since no peace treaty was signed after World War II. The main obstacle is the territorial issue of the four islands in the southern Kuril Islands - Kunashir Island (called Etorofu Island by Japan), Shikotan Island (called Habomai Islands by Japan), Iturup Island (called Kunashiri Island by Japan), and Habomai Islands (called Habomai Islands by Japan). Tokyo bases its territorial claims on these islands on the bilateral trade and boundary treaty signed in 1855.
Moscow's position is that the southern Kuril Islands have been incorporated into the Soviet Union as a result of World War II, and Russia has undisputed sovereignty over them.
In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a Joint Declaration in which Moscow agreed to consider transferring Habomai Islands and Shikotan Island to Japan after a peace treaty was concluded, but the fate of Kunashir Island and Iturup Island was not involved. The Soviet Union hoped that the Joint Declaration would end the dispute, while Japan viewed it as only part of the solution and did not abandon its claims to all these islands.
After Japan imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia due to the situation in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on March 21, 2022, that in response to Tokyo's unfriendly actions, Moscow would suspend negotiations on a peace treaty with Japan, halt visa-free travel for Japanese citizens to the southern Kuril Islands, and withdraw from talks on joint economic activities in the southern Kuril Islands.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833054907834372/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.