On August 20, the Russian Defense Ministry released footage showing what it said was a missile launch exercise carried out by its Pacific Fleet near the Kuril Islands, parts of which Japan claims as the Northern Territories.

During the drills, a nuclear-powered submarine launched a cruise missile, and a cruiser fired an anti-ship missile at targets more than 300 kilometers off the coast of the Northern Territories. In addition, a Bastion surface-to-ship missile system launched a missile from one of the islands, with all missiles reportedly hitting the targets.

A Bastion missile system was deployed in 2016 on Etorofu, one of the disputed islands known internationally as Iturup Island, and a missile may have been launched from it during this exercise.

Russia had notified the Japanese government that it would conduct missile drills in waters around Iturup Island, prompting a protest from Japan's Foreign Ministry.

On August 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first-ever visit to Etorofu.

Taken together, these moves appear intended to underscore Russia's effective control over the Northern Territories.

Russia administers the islands, which were seized from Japan by the Soviet Union in the closing days of World War II.