Russian border guards with the use of Federal Security Service aircraft opened fire at two Japanese fishing vessels in Russia's territorial waters, Itar-Tass reported. Both vessels ignored the orders to stop for examination. They were 1.5 nautical miles off the coast of Kunashir Island, the Southern Kuriles. After warning shooting, fire was opened to make the vessel stop, sources of the Russian Security Service's Sakhalin coast guard department said on Saturday. The schooners stopped only after that. The incident occurred on January 29 at 13:20 Sakhalin time (06:20 Moscow time). The crews of the Japanese vessels were not hurt. Border guard patrol ships were sent to the site. However, the two vessels, using the remoteness and the difficult icy conditions, went out of the Russian Federation's territory and arrived at the Japanese port of Rausu. An investigation is launched together with the Japanese side into the incident.
