Russia to establish naval base on Kuril Islands
An airport network is to be restored on the Kuril Islands, work on its creation is connected to the establishment of a Russian naval base, announced Senator Frants Klintsevich as reported by RIA Novosti.
The naval base will accept “any ships”, including first rank vessels. Work to establish the base will begin soon, the senator noted. “Everything is going strictly according to plan, without rushed bursts,” he added.
As Interfax reports with reference to Klintsevich, organizational matters are currently being dealt with. Earlier Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said that a Russian division will be deployed to the Kurils. According to him, the division has been created over the course of the last six years, and is not intended to oppose anyone, but will exist “exclusively for the protection of the Russian Federation’s territory”. It was announced last year that the base will be set up on the Kuril island of Matua. Plans have been made to establish a stationing point for ships there, as well as to restore the airport.
Last autumn Russia deployed coastal Bal missile systems on the island of Kushashir and Bastion systems on Iturup, Interfax noted.
The Kuril Islands have been the subject of a territorial dispute between Russia and Japan since World War II. In February this year, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the islands would not be given to Japan for temporary use. At the end of last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe agreed to initiate joint economic activity on the Kurils. In September, the Japanese prime minister urged Putin to make a peace agreement on the Kurils.