Russia's Defense Ministry has announced the successful launch of a simulated attack in the Sea of Japan involving two boats firing several nuclear-capable missiles. The drill, which took place on Wednesday, was conducted to test the country's ability to repel an enemy attack.
According to reports, the exercise involved two small missile boats – R-60 and R-24 – launching Kalibr cruise missiles and P-270 Moskit supersonic anti-ship missiles at designated targets. These weapons are capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads and can reach a distance up to 2,500 km.
The Russian military said that during the simulated attack scenario, one boat operated as a decoy while another launched its missiles from a safe distance. The exercise was aimed at testing "the capabilities of naval forces to solve tasks for ensuring naval security," said Russia's Defense Ministry in a statement released on Thursday.
The drills came amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Tokyo over disputed islands off northern Japan. Diplomatic relations between both countries have been strained since World War II when Soviet troops seized control of four islands known as Kuril Islands.
Japan immediately protested against Russia's latest missile tests calling it "extremely regrettable." It further added that such actions violate international law and jeopardize regional security."
However, this is not the first time that Russia has conducted such drills in contested waters. In November last year, it conducted similar exercises in the Black Sea region involving long-range bombers equipped with cruise missiles.
Despite growing pressure from Western nations over its aggressive military stance both domestically and internationally, Moscow remains adamant about beefing up its defense capabilities against potential enemies.