Japan opens fire without warning near the Russian border.
Japanese coast guard officers fired shots without warning near Kunashir Island (a Russian territory).
According to RIA Novosti, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on May 25 that the Japanese coast guard fired unannounced shots near the Russian island of Kunashir during a shooting practice.
"On May 23, the Nemuro Coast Guard in Hokkaido reported that the crew of the patrol vessel Kawagiri made a mistake while conducting machine gun exercises off the coast of Cape Shiretoko without issuing a maritime warning to nearby vessels," the Yomiuri newspaper reported.
According to the publication, the Japanese ship fired 66 rounds from its 13 mm machine gun before the regional coast guard command realized that a corresponding warning had not been given and ordered a ceasefire. The incident lasted approximately 53 minutes.
The 1st Regional Command and other agencies are investigating the cause of the incident; there have also been no reports of nearby vessels or damage. There has also been no statement from the Russian side.
To the east of the aforementioned area lies the Russian island of Kunashir.
Relations between Russia and Japan have been strained for years due to the lack of a peace treaty following the end of World War II. The main sticking point is the issue of the Southern Kuril Islands. Tokyo claims sovereignty over the islands of Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup, and Habomai, citing the 1855 Treaty of Trade and Borders.
The Russian side asserts that these islands became part of the Soviet Union after the war and that its sovereignty over them is unquestionable.
In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a Joint Declaration. Moscow agreed to consider the possibility of transferring the islands of Habomai and Shikotan to Tokyo after the signing of a peace treaty. The fate of Kunashir and Iturup was not affected.
The Soviet Union hoped that this declaration would end the dispute, while Japan viewed the document as only part of a solution to the problem and did not relinquish its claim to all the islands. Subsequent negotiations failed to reach a consensus.
Russia refused to engage in dialogue on this issue after Japan imposed sanctions on Moscow over its special military operation in Ukraine. Russia also suspended its visa-free policy for Japanese citizens visiting the Southern Kuril Islands and withdrew from negotiations on establishing joint economic activities on the islands.
