Russia conducts live-fire drill on disputed Kuril Islands after Putin's visit provokes Japan
TL;DR
Russia's Pacific Fleet held a large-scale live-fire exercise on the disputed Kuril Islands, with anti-ship missiles fired from Etorofu as a Bastion system hit targets about 300km away; the drills followed Putin's visit to Etorofu, which drew Tokyo's protests. Putin watched from the cruiser Varyag during the exercise; the activity involved around 60 ships, 30 aircraft and more than 13,000 personnel and runs through August 29, underscoring ongoing tensions over these islands off Japan's Hokkaido.
- Russia test-fires missiles off disputed islands days after Putin’s visit angered Japan The Independent
- Russian Missile Drills Stoke Tensions With Japan WSJ
- Russia Holds Rare Missile Test Near Islands Claimed by Japan Bloomberg.com
- Russia’s missile tests around disputed islands anger Japan The Guardian
- Regions Calling: Decoding Putin’s Eastern Odyssey The Moscow Times
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