The Russian Foreign Ministry issued an official statement on Wednesday, stating that they are fully rejecting any protest the Tokyo administration might launch against it over the seizure of the Japanese crab fishing boat in the Kuril Islands and the killing of one Japanese fisherman aboard it.

On the other hand, Russian officials accused their Japanese counterparts that they continue to allow poaching fish and shellfish in what they labeled as Russian territorial waters.

The statement added that the Russian authorities feel profound regret over the dramatic incident, yet they reminded the Japanese that they have warned them on many occasions that there is an increase in boats that practice illegal fishing in Russian-controlled territory. Previous warnings were accompanied by the demand to implement stronger more efficient controls by the Japanese authorities, yet all of them were ignored by the latter.

The 4.9-ton No. 31 Kisshin Maru fishing boat, which was catching piles of crabs, was seized in the waters around Kaigara Island, which is part of the Habomais group of smaller isles that were taken under Russian control by the Soviet Army, immediately after the Second World War.

According to the Russians, the boat had no identification or lights and attempted to run from the scene when it learnt that it had been discovered, disregarding the fact that the Russian patrol had ordered it to stop. Moreover, the Russian authorities, which are currently conducting an investigation into the matter, highlighted the fact that they had discovered the Japanese fisherman, now believed to be 35 year old Mitsuhiro Morita, was illegally fishing crabs and octopuses. An official at the Russian border security department declared that the Moscow administration hoped it could return the body of the shot fisherman to Japan by Friday.