Russia holds missile drills near islands claimed by Japan
Photo: Japan reacted to the incident (Getty Images)
Russia conducted rare missile drills involving naval vessels and a ground-based launcher near islands also claimed by Japan. This has heightened recent tensions between the countries, according to Bloomberg.
On Thursday, Russia's Pacific Fleet stated that missile launches were carried out from a nuclear submarine, a missile cruiser, and a Bastion coastal defense system in the area of the Southern Kuril Islands. However, the date of the exercises was not specified.
According to the report, the missiles were fired at targets located more than 300 km away and struck them. The Pacific Fleet did not specify the exact location of the exercises, but Russia has deployed Bastion coastal defense batteries on the island of Iturup, known in Japan as Etorofu, since 2016.
"Russia’s military buildup on the four Northern Islands runs counter to Japan’s position and is unacceptable," Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told journalists.
What preceded this
The Southern Kuril Islands have been controlled by Russia since the Soviet Union seized them from Japan in the final days of World War II.
Last week, Russian leader Vladimir Putin made his first visit to the territory, traveling to Iturup Island, which drew a protest from Tokyo.
Putin's visit and the missile tests came as Japan has aligned itself with Western countries in supporting Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion, including imposing sanctions on Moscow. Tokyo also provides non-lethal support to the Ukrainian military, including body armor and vehicles.
During his visit to the Far East, Putin said that Japan had recently changed its attitude toward Russia without provocation. He criticized the sanctions and said that Russia had been designated as a serious threat in Japan's defense documents.
The dispute over the islands has prevented Moscow and Tokyo from signing a formal World War II peace treaty. Although Russia's possession of the Kuril Islands is enshrined in international documents, Moscow remains ready to seek a solution through a peace treaty with Japan, Putin said last week.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attempted to reach a deal with Putin under which two islands would be returned to Japan, but since then, the prospects for resuming dialogue have virtually vanished.
Unlike her immediate predecessors, current Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has not yet held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leading to speculation that she may try to resume negotiations over the disputed islands with Russia.
