The deployment of Russian missile systems on the Kuril Islands should not influence efforts to settle a long-running territorial dispute between Moscow and Tokyo over the islands, the Kremlin said.
Russian media reported on Tuesday that the Bastion and Bal anti-ship missile systems were now in operation on two of the islands off Hokkaido, which are part of a group that have been subject to rival claims by Russia and Japan for 70 years.
Officials in Moscow and Tokyo say they are making a renewed push to resolve the dispute, and a planned visit to Japan in December by Russian President Vladimir Putin is now the focus for those efforts.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.