Nagasaki authorities intend to invite Russia to the funeral ceremony

The Nagasaki authorities announced their intention to invite Russia to a funeral ceremony on the anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city by the US army. This was reported to journalists on May 19 in the city administration.

"For the countries and regions where the UN offices are located, we also plan to send an information letter requesting a visit to Nagasaki, the site of the atomic bombing, with participation in the ceremony as a new step," the administration said.

According to the mayor of the city, Shiro Suzuki, quoted by TASS, the authorities plan to send invitations to all states that have a diplomatic mission in Japan.

Funeral ceremonies in memory of the victims of the atomic bombings are held annually in Hiroshima on August 6 and in Nagasaki on August 9.

In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japanese Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This is the only case of combat use of nuclear weapons in history, which claimed the lives of thousands of people. More than 200 thousand people became victims of the attacks. Many of them died in the first seconds, and some died in the next few months from radiation sickness. The list of victims continues to grow. The data is updated annually on August 9, the anniversary of the tragedy.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, during a debate on October 12, 2024 with other party leaders, said that nuclear deterrence was necessary in an increasingly tense security environment. According to Ishiba, Japan should "consider the possibility of America transferring nuclear weapons or deploying nuclear weapons in the region" as part of the Asian version of NATO in order to better ensure deterrence.