MOSCOW, April 17 (KUNA) -- The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a strongly-worded protest note with the Japanese Embassy in Moscow on Thursday over Japan's plans to conduct military exercises involving SSM-1 anti-ship missile system near Russia's eastern borders.
The planned drill pose a direct threat to regional security and risk destabilizing the region, said a statement from the Ministry carried by the state-run news agency RIA Novosti.
The provocative move could foment tension in the Asia-Pacific region and hamper the efforts aiming to cement mutual trust, according to the statement.
Moscow will keep a wary eye on the developments in the region and take the necessary steps to protect its own security interests, it warned.
Tokyo had announced plans for conducting the missile drills in June on Hokkaido Island - the northernmost prefecture of Japan, near the disputed Kuril Islands. Equipped with Type-88 missiles, SSM-1 system covers a range of 200 kilometers. (end) dan.gb