Russia conducts missile test near Kuril Islands after Japanese protest

The drills come a week after Tokyo criticized President Vladimir Putin’s first ever-visit to the archipelago The Russian Navy has carried out a successful missile test near the country’s Kuril Islands, the Pacific Fleet has said.The test comes a week after Japan vigorously protested Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first-ever visit to the archipelago, which is partially claimed by Tokyo.The missile test, which took place near the southern Kurils, involved the Varyag guided missile cruiser, the Omsk nuclear-powered submarine, and a ground-based Bastion surface-to-ship missile system, the Russian Pacific Fleet said in a statement on Thursday.They fired several types of munitions at a target simulating enemy vessels at a distance of around 300 km (186 miles), with targeting data provided by naval aviation, the fleet said.Objective control data confirmed the destruction of all targets, it stressed. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reacted to the drills by telling reporters that Tokyo “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].”Kyodo news earlier reported that...