Russia demands removal of U.S. Typhon missile systems from Japanese territory
Moscow has asked Tokyo to withdraw the American Typhon missile launchers that were temporarily placed on Kyushu, citing security concerns.
Russia has formally requested that Japan remove the U.S. Typhon missile launchers installed on Kyushu, claiming they pose a security risk to Moscow. The Russian foreign ministry delivered a protest note and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrej Rudenko met with Japanese Ambassador Akira Muto to press the issue. The Typhon units, capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 missiles, were positioned at Kanoya air base in Kagoshima prefecture for the Valiant Shield 2026 exercise and later used in the Orient Shield 26 drill with U.S. and Australian forces.
Tokyo and Washington maintain the temporary deployment is meant to bolster joint training and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, especially against China’s growing military power and North Korean threats. Japan stresses the systems are not a permanent base but a temporary, practice-related placement that will be relocated after the exercises. The dispute also ties into the long-standing territorial disagreement over the southern Kuril Islands.
Why it matters
The standoff highlights how U.S. weapons deployments in Japan can strain Russia-Japan relations amid broader Indo-Pacific security tensions.
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