Russia irks Japan, deploys Brahmos-like missile battery on a disputed Kuril Island

Moscow: While the world is occupied by the blitzkrieg of missiles and destruction in Ukraine, Russia has silently stationed a mobile coastal defence missile system on a northern Kuril island to which Japan lays claim since World War II when erstwhile Soviet Union had seized it.

While Japan still calls the southern Kuril islands as its Northern Territories, the development, according to a Reuters report, was confirmed by Russia’s defence ministry.

The island in question is part of the strategically significant chain of islands stretching between Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula under Russia.

According to the Reuters report, the Russian Bastion missile systems, with missiles having the range of up to 500 km, were deployed on the Paramushir island in northern Kuril Islands, the Russian defence ministry said.

The military camp, the report quoted the ministry as saying, will be equipped accommodation, recreation and food for personnel, enabling a year-round operability.

According to a EurAsian Times report, the Russian defence ministry said: “The Bastion coastal missile system combat units of the Pacific Fleet have been deployed and have taken up duty in the northern part of the Kuril ridge on Paramushir Island. Coastal missile men of the Pacific Fleet will keep a round-the-clock to control the adjacent water area and strait zones.”

Earlier, Russia had deployed the K-300P Bastion-P systems on the Kuril island of Matua last year.

Bastion missile systems

The K-300P or Bastion-P mobile costal defence missile system, where the ‘P’ stands for ‘mobile’, is a deadly fire-and-forget missile system that not just engages various surface ships, but also carrier battle groups, convoys or landing crafts, has emerged as a serious headache for Japan and can have detrimental effects on the already-strained bilateral relations between the two countries.

These missiles can target surface targets too and is known in the West as ‘Stooge’.

The Bastion-P launcher carries two P-800 Oniks/Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles with low flight trajectory. Incidentally, the same missile was used as a basis for the Brahmos cruise missile.

The missiles in this system use satellite guidance at the initial stage of the flight and active radar guidance while approaching the target. It can also manouver at supersonic speeds before hitting the target.

Why Russia is deploying Bastion systems on Kuril?

Russia is irked, according to reports, after Japan slapped sanctions against it in the aftermath of the Ukraine invasion.

Western experts believe that given the Russian aggressive stance in the Kuril region, Japan and the US must intensify their consultations in the matter.

As Japan slapped sanctions and joined its western allies in censuring Russia, the latter withdrew from peace treaty talks with Japan and suspended joint economic projects related to the disputed islands.

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