According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, a strong protest has been lodged with the Japanese embassy in Moscow over the exercise, which poses a risk to shipping and public health.
The Foreign Ministry noted that the practice firing, involving a Japanese Coast Guard patrol boat, took place on 23 May in the open sea 18.5 km northeast of Cape Shiretoko (Hokkaido Island) without prior notification to foreign ships and vessels.
"Irresponsible actions of this kind in the immediate vicinity of Russia's borders constitute a clear violation of international law, pose a direct risk to civilian shipping and the life and health of Russian citizens, and are categorically unacceptable," the State Department stressed.
In a corresponding note, the Russian Foreign Ministry also demanded that the Japanese side "properly explain the nature of what happened and take comprehensive measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future".
TASS/gnews.cz-jav
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