Russia to deploy anti-ship missiles to Kurils: report

November 30, 2017

Moscow- The Russian military plans to deploy antiship missiles to the Kuril Islands near Japan, the Russian newspaper Izvestia reported on Wednesday.

The deployment of the Bal and Bastion missile systems to two islands in the Kuril chain is expected to start next year, the paper said.

Russia last year deployed the missile systems to two of the four northwestern Pacific islands at the center of a territorial dispute between Tokyo and Moscow.

The missile deployment to the Kuril chain is expected to affect territorial talks between Japan and Russia over the four islands.

The four islands, currently held by Moscow and claimed by Tokyo, were seized by Soviet troops from Japan in the closing days of World War II. Jiji Press