Russia is constructing a network of surveillance bases in the disputated Kuril Islands, carefully off the coast of Japan. In light of the ongoing fight in Ukraine, Japan may have responded with this growth. The new bases have advanced security equipment, including drone tracking and missile target identification, related to what the Russian Black Sea fleet does when it monitors Russian activity.
Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, confirmed the structure in a Friday announcement that was made by the state news agency TASS. Japan and Russia have long been at odds with one another over the Kuril Islands, which were taken by Russian forces at the end of World War II. The closeness of the territories to Hokkaido, Japan’s northern province, only heightens the strategic value of this growth, a South China Morning Post said.
Researchers speculate that Russia’s decision is a part of Japan’s support for Ukraine. According to James Brown, a professor of global relations with a focus on Russian affairs at Temple University’s Tokyo campus,” Russia is looking for any means to “punish” Japan for supporting global sanctions and supporting Ukraine,” such as enforcing a ban on the import of Japanese seafood. Moscow wants to demonstrate to Japan that steps taken in support of Ukraine are costly and against Japan’s wishes.
According to the SCMP report, surveillance bases are used to keep an eye on regional activities, especially those of Japan and its ally, the United States, as well as to strengthen military might. According to Garren Mulloy, a professor of global relations at Daito Bunka University,” Those bases will serve as the eyes and ears into northern Japan, keeping Russia informed about what Japan is doing based on its radar signs and, consequently, what its ally the US is doing,” said Mulloy.
The Kuril Islands stretch over 1, 150 km ( 715 miles ) and are seen as key to protecting the Sea of Okhotsk, considered by Russia as an exclusive zone crucial for its naval strategy. The Sea of Okhotsk is now considered by Russia to be its own unique area, which is important because it nearly guarantees that it is free of any foreign submarines and serves as a base for its own ballistic missile submarines, Mulloy said.
The long-running territorial dispute over the islands, which Japan refers to as the Northern Territories, has been rekindled by the construction of new foundations despite the proper expansions. Due to the conflict, the two nations have not been able to agree on a formal peace agreement that would actually ending World War II. There are ongoing discussions about the future of the islands, with uncertain outcomes for regaining Japanese country.
No formal schedules have been made, but there have been rumors about President Vladimir Putin’s probable visit to the Kurils to confirm Russia’s position as it strengthens its position. Mulloy speculated on Putin’s travel patterns, suggesting,” Putin is afraid of flying and is extremely careful when he travels, so I’m not sure he may really go through with a explore”.
The Kuril Islands ‘ increased military and security activity is a significant turning point for relations between Japan and Russia, which highlights the wider geopolitical conflicts that are being impacted by the situation in Ukraine.
