Japan is preparing to conduct joint exercises with Germany and Spain, Russia immediately spoke up

Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters in Moscow. (Source: Anadolu Agency)

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website on June 28 that it had sent a note of protest to the Japanese Embassy ahead of the announcement of military exercises with Germany and Spain, scheduled to take place later this month.

The note said Tokyo had been informed that participating in military activities off Russia's far eastern coast was "completely unacceptable", especially given the involvement of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members far from the region.

“We consider such activity a potential threat to the security of the Russian Federation…”, the statement said.

Moscow has also warned of retaliatory measures that would need to be taken to ensure the country's defense capabilities.

In another development related to Russia, on August 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 10 Ukrainians detained in Russia had been released under an agreement brokered by the Vatican.

“We managed to repatriate 10 more people from Russian detention,” including two priests and a Crimean Tatar politician, the Telegram message said.