Russian MFA defines consequences should US deploy medium-range missiles in Japan

The Russian Foreign Ministry has warned that Moscow will respond if the United States deploys medium-range missiles in Japan.

This statement was delivered by Lyudmila Vorobyova, Director of the Third Asian Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, as reported by Caliber.Az, citing Russian media.

Vorobyova, who oversees diplomatic relations with Japan, as well as several South Asian nations, Australia, and New Zealand, emphasized that Tokyo has been repeatedly cautioned about the risks of increasing its military-technical cooperation with Western countries.

"If American medium-range missiles are stationed in Japan as a result of such collaboration, we will be compelled to implement necessary countermeasures to enhance our defence capabilities and counteract security threats originating from Japanese territory," she stated, adding that Russia's response will align with its long-term strategic goals and national security interests.

Japanese government sources have recently disclosed that Tokyo is considering placing long-range missiles on its southwestern Kyushu island to bolster its “counterstrike capabilities” against China and North Korea.

The Defence Post has reported that the deployment on the Japanese Kyushu island could begin as early as Spring 2026. It is positioned near the East China Sea and the Korean Peninsula and lies approximately 905 kilometres north of Okinawa, which hosts Japanese and American military bases closest to China and Taiwan.

According to the article, the missile deployment in Kyushu is widely viewed as Tokyo’s deterrent against a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, rising tensions in the East China Sea, and North Korea’s missile threats.

Additionally, it signals Japan’s shift toward a more assertive defence strategy following US encouragement to increase defence spending to 3 per cent of its GDP.

By Nazrin Sadigova