Russia Fires Missiles Off Japan-Claimed Islands
Russia Fires Missiles Off Japan-Claimed Islands
The News
Russia test-fired anti-ship missiles from a disputed island off Japan's northern coast, days after Vladimir Putin became the first Russian president to visit the archipelago — and Tokyo says it will not tolerate it.
Russia's Pacific Fleet said Thursday that a unit equipped with the Bastion coastal missile system, stationed on Etorofu, simulated an attack on enemy warships and hit all of its targets at a range of about 300 kilometers.
A guided-missile cruiser and a nuclear-powered submarine took part in the drills, according to reports cited by The Guardian and The Independent.
The four islands lie off the eastern coast of Hokkaido. Japan calls them the Northern Territories; Russia counts them as part of the Kuril chain.
Timeline
Russian Pacific Fleet exercises begin. Japan is told in advance that they will include live firing.
Japan lodges a protest over the large-scale maneuvers.
Putin watches part of the exercises from the deck of the fleet flagship, the cruiser Varyag.
Putin visits Etorofu, the largest of the four islands, the first such visit by a Russian president. Tokyo protests, and both capitals summon each other's ambassadors.
The Pacific Fleet announces the Bastion missile launches from Etorofu.
The exercises are scheduled to end.
Reactions
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, speaking during a visit to Oman, said: "We cannot tolerate moves to strengthen military power on the Four Northern Islands because they go against our country's stance on the territories."
Putin, speaking aboard the Varyag, framed the buildup as a response to Western activity in the Pacific. He said the region was becoming more prone to conflict, with "NATO seeking to gain a foothold here and the emergence of new military and political blocs," adding: "There are efforts and plans to deploy new weapons systems here, which creates threats for our country."
What's Next
The Russian drills are set to run through August 29, which leaves more than a week of live-fire activity in waters Japan considers its own.
Tokyo has so far answered with diplomatic protests and ambassador summonses. There is no sign either side is moving toward talks on the islands themselves.
More
The Russian state news agency Tass said the exercises involve roughly 60 surface ships, submarines and support vessels, about 30 aircraft, helicopters and drones, and more than 13,000 service members.
The disputed group comprises Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islets. The argument over them dates to the 19th century. The Soviet Union seized the islands from Japan in the closing days of the Second World War, and because the dispute has never been settled, Russia and Japan have never signed a peace treaty formally ending that war.
Relations have deteriorated sharply since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, after which Japan joined its Group of Seven partners in imposing sanctions on Moscow.
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