Russia calls Japanese plans to deploy US missile systems excessive

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Japanese plans to deploy U.S. missile defence systems on its soil were disproportionate to the missile threat in the region.

The comments, made at a news briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, came a day after Moscow said it was seriously concerned that Japan might deploy the U.S. Aegis Ashore missile-defence system on its soil to counter possible missile threats from North Korea.

Zakharova, in the same briefing, called on Pyongyang to exercise restraint in the face of new U.S.-South Korean military exercise, saying the war games did not help de-escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.