Russia Conducts Missile Drills Near Disputed Islands, Angering Japan

Russia's Pacific fleet has conducted missile drills in the vicinity of the Kuril Islands, a chain of islands that Moscow administers but Japan claims as its Northern Territories. The exercises, which involved firing Bastion surface-to-ship missiles from Etorofu, the largest island in the disputed archipelago, simulated an attack on enemy vessels and were conducted approximately 300km away.

These drills follow a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the islands last week, an event that had already heightened tensions with Japan. Tokyo has officially criticized the missile tests, viewing them as a provocative act amid ongoing territorial disputes between the two nations. The exercises underscore the persistent geopolitical friction surrounding the sovereignty of these islands.