A Japanese civic group is holding a public exhibition in Tokyo detailing the atrocities committed by the infamous Unit 731, a Japanese germ-warfare unit operating during World War II, urging the Japanese government to face history squarely and oppose the pro-nuclear stance.
The exhibition, held from Wednesday till Monday, revealed the crimes committed by Unit 731 in China, as well as other historical facts, prompting the Japanese government to deeply atone for its aggressive past and the historical reasons behind the nuclear bombings.
"Unit 731 not only conducted experiments on human beings in China, but also initiated bacterial warfare. However, this was not the end. Later, the experimental data was handed over to the United States, allowing members of Unit 731 to escape prosecution," said Nobuharu Goi, an organizer of the exhibition.
Remarks made by an official at the Japanese Prime Minister's office on Thursday asserting that Japan should possess nuclear weapons raised alarm among citizens and experts. Many expressed concern that such statements reveal a dangerous agenda aimed at violating international law to pursue nuclear armament.
"The pro-nuclear rhetoric is infuriating. The Fukushima nuclear accident, the nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, aren't these lessons enough? What are they thinking about? It’s absolutely incomprehensible," said a visitor.
"The desires for possessing nuclear armament have existed for a long time. Yet it is frightening that such notions can now be openly expressed in public and even to the media. I feel a profound sense of crisis about this situation," said Fuyuko Nishisato, a Japanese historian.
A visitor to the exhibition, who is also a victim of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, said that compensation for accident victims remain unresolved. While the Japanese government claims financial difficulties, it simultaneously increases defense spending, which is disheartening.
"The Japanese government has barely taken the suffering caused by the nuclear accident seriously. As a victim, I feel immense pain. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi once said that the Fukushima accident seems to have had no health effects on people. However, there are numerous victims, including children suffering from thyroid cancer. I think it is a tragedy for Japan to have someone who ignores these facts as the prime minister," he said.
Japanese civil group urges gov't to face history squarely with exhibition on Unit 731 atrocities
Russia said on Saturday that its armed forces had taken control over two more settlements in the Sumy and Donetsk regions, while Ukraine, on the same day, reported strikes against a Russian frigate.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, the Russian forces had gained control over the settlements of Vysoke in the Sumy region and Svitle in the Donetsk region.
The ministry also said its forces had struck facilities used to transport Western-supplied weapons, ammunition and fuel depots, as well as temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian forces and foreign mercenaries.
On the same day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that in the early hours of Friday, Ukrainian troops had successfully hit a Russian frigate using drones. The warship was patrolling near an oil and gas production platform in the Caspian Sea at the time.
It said efforts are currently underway to determine the extent of damage to the vessel and to confirm its hull number.
It also reported that a drilling platform located at the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea had been struck. The platform, owned by Russian energy corporation Lukoil, has been supplying materials to Russian troops.
So far, there has been no official response from the Russian side regarding these incidents.
Also on Saturday, according to Russia's TASS News Agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev had arrived at a golf club in Miami, U.S. state of Florida, where he held a new round of talks regarding a draft peace plan to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Following the meeting, Dmitriev described the talks with the U.S. as constructive and said that discussions would continue on Sunday.
A day earlier, Ukraine's chief peace negotiator, Rustem Umerov, and the chief of the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces, Andrii Hnatov, had held consultations in the United States with American and European counterparts on the draft peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Umerov had briefed him on the previous day's talks between Ukraine and the U.S.
He revealed that the issue of territory remains unresolved and emphasized that Ukraine is committed to reaching a stable and lasting peace agreement that provides reliable long-term security guarantees.
According to Zelensky, the U.S. has proposed holding a trilateral meeting involving the national security advisors of Ukraine, the United States and Russia.
Noting that in the negotiations for a potential peace agreement, the most critical issue -- territory -- remains unsettled, Zelensky said that any agreement should establish the current line of contact as a ceasefire line, with the goal of gradually reclaiming Ukraine’s occupied territories through diplomatic means on that basis. He further emphasized that Ukraine has made it clear to its American partners that, under its constitution, Ukraine cannot cede any territory.
Currently, Ukraine is working with its partners to outline every clause of the agreement, ensuring that it is not a vague deal about the division of territory and resources, but rather one focused on stable, lasting peace and reliable security guarantees, Zelensky said.
He said the security guarantee clauses for Ukraine in the agreement must be fair and effective, and that Ukraine must be fully informed of the specific details -- including how the United States and Europe would respond and react if Russia were to launch another attack, and what kind of deterrence package Ukraine would receive.
Regarding elections, Zelensky said that two aspects require attention in any future Ukrainian elections: security and legislation.
He said that during wartime, ways must be found to advance legislative reforms, while voting can only take place if security is guaranteed. Ukraine has already discussed this matter with the U.S., added Zelensky.
Russia claims capturing 2 more settlements, Ukraine claims strike on Russian frigate
