Russia's Pacific Fleet conducted a Bastion missile test off disputed islands that President Vladimir Putin visited earlier this month, prompting a protest from Japan. The Japanese government lodged a formal complaint with Russia over the drills, citing concerns that they are "unacceptable" and run counter to Tokyo's position on the Northern Territories. According to Russian reports, the missile test successfully hit all targets at a range of at least 300 kilometers. This is the latest escalation in tensions between Japan and Russia, which have worsened since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Russia's Pacific Fleet conducted a missile test off disputed islands in the Sea of Okhotsk, prompting a protest from Japan. The Bastion surface-to-ship missile system was tested on August (no specific date mentioned) with missiles hitting all intended targets at a range of at least 300 kilometres. The exercise simulated an attack on enemy vessels and involved the guided-missile cruiser Varyag, the Omsk nuclear-powered submarine, and other ships from Russia's Pacific Fleet. The test was conducted just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the islands, which are claimed by both Japan and Russia, with Tokyo summoning Russia's ambassador to Japan in response. The disputed islands have been a point of contention between the two countries since the end of World War II, when the Soviet Union seized them from Japan. Japan's foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, stated that his country cannot tolerate military power strengthening on the islands.
Written for “Russia Missile Tests Spark Tension” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
The Pacific Fleet conducted a Bastion missile test just days after Putin's visit to the islands prompted Tokyo to summon Russia's ambassador to Japan and drew a US statement of support for Japanese sovereignty.
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visit → conduct → sovereignty
Japan lodged a protest on Friday against Moscow's decision to conduct missile tests off disputed islands visited by President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.
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tensions → lodge → countries
"We lodged a protest in response to the notification about the plan to conduct a missile test" off the islands, a Japanese government spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → lodge → islands
Japanese news agency Kyodo quoted Russia's Pacific Fleet as saying that it had already conducted the missile test, although it was unclear when it took place.
uncertain
it → quote → place
Kyodo reported that a unit equipped with the Bastion surface-to-ship missile system conducted the test from the chain's largest island, Etorofu.
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unit → report → island
Flagship of Russia's Pacific Fleet, the guided missile cruiser Varyag, also took part in the test, along with the Omsk nuclear-powered submarine, the news agency said.
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agency → guide → submarine
The exercise simulated an attack on enemy vessels and hit all intended targets at a range of at least 300 kilometres, the fleet added, according to Kyodo.
uncertain
fleet → simulate → Kyodo
"We believe 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," Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters Thursday during a trip to Oman.
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Motegi → believe → Oman
"We cannot tolerate moves (by Russia) to strengthen military power on the four northern islands because they go against our country's stance (on the territories)," Motegi added.
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Motegi → tolerate → territories
He also said Tokyo will respond in a timely manner by comprehensively considering what serves Japan's national interests, according to Japanese public broadcaster HNK.
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what → say → HNK
Relations continue to worsen
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Relations → continue → ?
The Japanese government maintains that the four islands and groups of islets that make up the Northern Territories — Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and Habomai — are part of its territory that the Soviets illegally occupied and Russia has continued to occupy since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
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Russia → maintain → 1991
Putin made his first official visit to the islands on 13 August, prompting Japan to summon Russia's ambassador.
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Putin → make → ambassador
Putin went there after visiting the nearby island of Sakhalin — where Russia's navy has been conducting drills — and the Varyag flagship.
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navy → go → drills
After Putin's stop, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the islands "are an inherent part of Japan's territory, both historically and under international law".
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islands → say → law
Putin's visit "offends the sentiments of the Japanese people and is absolutely unacceptable," she added.
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she → offend → people
Ties between Japan and Russia have worsened since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, when Tokyo joined other G7 countries in sanctioning Moscow and aiding Kyiv.
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Tokyo → worsen → Kyiv
Analysts said Putin's visit to the Kurils could have been aimed at warning Japan against deepening its support for Ukraine — potentially including the direct supply of Patriot missiles — and against closer cooperation with NATO.
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visit → say → NATO
Japan currently provides only non-lethal defence aid to Ukraine.
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Japan → provide → Ukraine
While Japan has eased restrictions on defence exports in recent years, it is still barred from supplying lethal military equipment directly to a country at war.
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it → ease → war
Kremlin's sabre-rattling
Moscow has reinforced its military presence on the islands as recently as December 2021, when it deployed Bastion coastal defence missile systems on an uninhabited volcanic island in the middle of the chain.
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it → reinforce → chain
The island hosted a Japanese army base prior to the Soviet occupation.
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island → host → occupation
A Soviet base there was shut down amid funding shortages in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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base → shut → Union
Moscow previously deployed Bal and Bastion missile systems on two of the four southernmost islands in 2016.
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Moscow → deploy → 2016
In the following years, Russia further beefed up its arsenal on the islands by sending top-of-the-line air defence missile systems, setting up an air base on Etorofu Island, and deploying fighter jets.
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Russia → beef → jets
The sparsely inhabited islands are strategically significant to the Kremlin as they sit at the entrance to the Sea of Okhotsk and give Russia's Pacific Fleet access to the open Pacific without passing through Japanese-controlled waters.
Putin's visit was the first trip to the islands by a Russian president since Dmitry Medvedev in 2010.
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visit → sit → 2010
