Russia’s Pacific Fleet conducted a rare and provocative missile exercise near islands jointly claimed by Japan and Russia, deploying weapons from a nuclear-powered submarine, a guided-missile cruiser and a land-based Bastion coastal defense system around the Southern Kuril Islands.
The drills, announced by the Pacific Fleet through Russian state news agency Interfax, came just days after President Vladimir Putin made his first-ever visit to Iturup Island, known as Etorofu in Japan, a move that prompted Tokyo to summon Russia’s ambassador and drew a rare statement of support for Japanese sovereignty from the United States.
Tokyo Condemns Drills as Unacceptable
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters that Russia’s military buildup on the four Northern Islands “runs counter to Japan’s position and is unacceptable.” The four islands, which include Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islets, have been controlled by Russia since the Soviet Union seized them from Japan in the final days of World War II.
The Pacific Fleet did not provide a precise location or date for the exercise, but Russia deployed Bastion coastal defense batteries on Iturup Island in 2016. The Bastion system fires the P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship missile with a range of approximately 600 kilometers, making it capable of reaching significant portions of the Sea of Okhotsk and nearby shipping lanes.
Putin’s Island Visit Escalated Tensions
Putin’s visit to Iturup earlier in August marked the first time a sitting Russian president had traveled to the disputed territory. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responded by calling the islands “an inherent part of Japan’s territory, both historically and under international law,” and said Putin’s visit “offends the sentiments of the Japanese people and is absolutely unacceptable.”
The guided-missile cruiser Varyag, flagship of Russia’s Pacific Fleet, also participated in the exercise alongside the submarine Omsk. Russia has steadily increased its military presence on the Kuril Islands over the past decade, deploying coastal defense systems, fighter jets and advanced radar installations.
The United States weighed in after Putin’s island visit, issuing a statement affirming its support for Japanese sovereignty over the Northern Territories, drawing a sharp response from Moscow.
The exercises come as Russia expands military cooperation with China and North Korea in the Asia-Pacific region. Japan’s 2026 Defense White Paper, released earlier in August, highlighted growing security cooperation between Moscow, Beijing and Pyongyang as a major threat to regional stability.
The territorial dispute has blocked diplomatic progress for decades, preventing Moscow and Tokyo from signing a formal peace treaty to end hostilities from World War II. Japan maintains that the Soviet Union illegally occupied the islands, while Russia insists its possession is enshrined in international documents.
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