Russia rejects Japan’s protest over alleged violation of airspace

MOSCOW, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) — Russia on Wednesday rejected Japan’s protest of a Russian aircraft allegedly violating Japan’s territorial airspace.
“Japan tried to protest on the issue through diplomatic channels. Russia rejected the accusation as we have no information confirming that it’s valid,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
Zakharova made the remarks when commenting on a recent incident that a Russian military aircraft allegedly violated Japanese airspace near the island of Hokkaido.
It was counterproductive for Japan to politicize such issues, she said, adding that the issue should be discussed via relevant channels. ■