푸틴 다녀간 뒤…러, 일 ‘북방영토’ 주장 아랑곳없이 미사일 훈련

Following Russia's military exercises near disputed Northern Territories, specifically the Kuril Islands, Russian Pacific Fleet announced successful missile strikes on a hypothetical enemy fleet on September 20th. The fleet employed missile and long-range missiles against targets more than 300 km away. Russian officials stated that the exercises included the nuclear-powered submarine "Omsk" and the guided-missile cruiser "Barak."

However, Japan's government immediately responded with strong rejection, Foreign Minister Motohashi commenting that Russian military expansion in the Kuril Islands is unacceptable. The Kuril Islands were annexed by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, and Japan relinquished its claim under the San Francisco Peace Treaty.

The Russian Federation has maintained control over the islands since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, Japan maintains that the four islands are not part of the same treaty-recognized Kuril Islands. The Japanese government's position became particularly pointed after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the island of Iturup (Japanese: Etorofu) during his presidency, a first since his inauguration 22 years ago.

This visit has been interpreted as a possible warning to Japan's ally Ukraine, currently at war. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has explicitly stated that this Russian move is unacceptable. Japanese media reports suggest that Russia is attempting to demonstrate its control over the disputed islands through military exercises.