TOKYO Kyodo Russia said Wednesday that it will ban entry of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and many of his Cabinet members as part of Moscow's punitive measures against Tokyo's response to the war in Ukraine.
The entry ban, announced by Russia's Foreign Ministry, targets 63 Japanese citizens, including Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.
The ministry accused the Japanese government of launching an unprecedented anti-Russian campaign with unacceptable rhetoric against Moscow.
Executives of Japanese media organizations and university professors were also included in the list released by the ministry.
The United States and European countries have implemented a number of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, including freezing the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his subordinates.