Story perspectives

Japan Condemns Russia Missile Drills Near Southern Kurils

8/21/2026

Left

Russia Missile Test

Russia’s Pacific Fleet conducted a missile test against simulated ships off the Southern Kuril Islands on August 20, 2026.
The islands grant Russia rich fishing grounds, potential mineral deposits and year-round Pacific naval routes, which the Kremlin cites to justify its military buildup.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi condemned the drills as a regional stability threat and said Japan cannot tolerate moves that strengthen military power on the islands.

Right

Pacific Fleet Test

Russia’s Pacific Fleet conducted a missile test against simulated ships off the Southern Kuril Islands on 20 August 2026.
The drill was presented as an affirmation of Russia’s sovereignty over the islands despite Japanese diplomatic protests.
Naval aviation supplied targeting data that objective control used to confirm all simulated targets were destroyed at roughly 300 km.
Missiles launched from the Omsk submarine, Varyag cruiser and a Bastion system on Iturup Island.

Center

Russia Missile Test

Russia’s Pacific Fleet conducted a missile test against simulated ships off the Southern Kuril Islands on 20 August 2026.
Japan protested the test’s notification as breaching diplomatic norms, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi deemed President Vladimir Putin’s island visit “absolutely unacceptable.”
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi summoned Russian ambassador to Tokyo after the visit.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov summoned Japanese ambassador Akira Moto to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Blindspot

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi summoned the Russian ambassador to Tokyo after President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Kuril Islands, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov summoned Japanese Ambassador Akira Moto to the Russian Foreign Ministry in response to Japan’s protest.
Within this story's sources, this diplomatic-summons angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning and Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In August 1945 Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky ordered the Soviet Far-Eastern forces—about 13,000 troops and 54 ships—to seize Shumshu and the rest of the Kuril chain, completing occupation by early September. That decisive amphibious campaign established Moscow’s claim to the islands, a claim echoed in Russia’s August 2026 missile drill off Iturup, which provoked formal protests from Japan’s ministers.

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Russia Missile Test

Russia’s Pacific Fleet conducted a missile test against simulated ships off the Southern Kuril Islands on August 20, 2026.
The islands grant Russia rich fishing grounds, potential mineral deposits and year-round Pacific naval routes, which the Kremlin cites to justify its military buildup.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi condemned the drills as a regional stability threat and said Japan cannot tolerate moves that strengthen military power on the islands.

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