Russia conducts rare missile test near islands disputed with Japan - Sarmad

Russia conducted rare missile exercises near the disputed Kuril Islands, located in the southern part of the country and claimed by Japan, involving naval vessels and a coastal defense system, in a move that heightens the escalating tensions between Moscow and Tokyo, according to Bloomberg.

The Russian Pacific Fleet stated that missiles were launched from a nuclear-powered submarine, a guided-missile cruiser, and the Bastion coastal defense system in the vicinity of the islands, without specifying the dates of the exercises, as reported by the Russian news agency Interfax.

The fleet added that the missiles struck targets more than 300 kilometers away, hitting their objectives, though the exact location of the maneuvers was not disclosed. Russia had previously deployed Bastion coastal defense batteries on Iturup Island, known to Japan as Etorofu, in 2016.