Japan protests Russian missile tests off Kuril Islands

Japan said Friday it had protested after Russia notified Tokyo that it would conduct missile tests off the disputed Kuril Islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories.

A Japanese government spokesman told AFP that Japan lodged a protest over the planned missile test off the islands. Russia's Pacific Fleet said Thursday it had already carried out the test, though it was unclear when it took place.

The fleet said its forces struck targets off the coast of the Southern Kuril Islands during planned exercises. It said the targets simulated enemy ships and were more than 300 kilometres away.

The fleet said the Guards cruiser Varyag launched two Vulkan anti-ship missiles, the nuclear-powered submarine Omsk fired Granit cruise missiles and a Bastion coastal missile system crew on the Kuril Islands fired an Oniks missile.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters Thursday during a trip to Oman that “Russia's military buildup in the Northern Territories including these missile drills runs counter to Japan's position regarding the Northern Territories, and is unacceptable”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first official visit to the islands on August 13, prompting Japan to summon Russia's ambassador. Moscow later reciprocated.

The islands have been administered by Russia since 1945 and are claimed by Japan. The Soviet Union seized them in 1945 and expelled the Japanese population.

After Putin's visit, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the islands “are an inherent part of Japan's territory, both historically and under international law”.

Putin visited the islands after travelling to nearby Sakhalin, where Russia's navy was conducting drills. His stop was the first trip to the islands by a Russian president since Dmitry Medvedev in 2010.

Relations between Japan and Russia have worsened since the full-scale conflict in Ukraine began in 2022. Japan has joined other G7 countries in sanctioning Moscow and aiding Kyiv, while providing only non-lethal defence aid to Ukraine.

Ukraine, like the United States, recognises Japanese sovereignty over the disputed islands. Analysts said Putin's visit to the Kurils could have been aimed at warning Japan against deeper support for Ukraine and closer cooperation with NATO.