Japan Protests Russian Missile Test Near Disputed Kuril Islands

Japan has formally protested a Russian missile test conducted off the disputed Kuril Islands, which Moscow calls the Northern Territories and Tokyo claims as Japanese territory.

The drill involved a coastal missile system firing from Etorofu, the largest island in the chain, supported by a guided-missile cruiser and a nuclear-powered submarine. Russia’s Pacific Fleet said the exercise simulated an attack on enemy ships and successfully hit targets at ranges of at least 300 kilometres.

The test followed a visit by President Vladimir Putin to the islands earlier this month. Japan’s foreign minister described the military buildup as unacceptable and contrary to Tokyo’s long-standing claim over the territory.

The Kurils have remained under Russian administration since the end of World War II. Periodic exercises and infrastructure development on the islands have repeatedly drawn Japanese diplomatic protests. The latest test occurs against a backdrop of heightened Russian military activity in the Pacific and strained Tokyo-Moscow relations following the Ukraine conflict.

No Japanese military response beyond the diplomatic note has been reported. The islands sit astride key sea lanes and remain a latent source of friction in Northeast Asian security calculations.