Status: 03/28/2023 11:01 am
Russia’s Ministry of Defense says it has tested anti-ship missiles in the Sea of Japan. Two cruise missiles were fired. Japan reacted cautiously to the missile test.
Russia has reported a missile test in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). Two anti-ship missiles were fired to practice attacking an enemy ship about 100 kilometers away. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. The two “Moskit” type cruise missiles successfully hit the dummy.
According to the information, the test was carried out in the Bay of Peter the Great in Vladivostok. Other warships and naval aircraft were also involved. The ministry did not give precise coordinates.
“Moskits”, known to NATO as “SS-N-22 Sunburn”, are supersonic missiles that can be armed with conventional or nuclear warheads. The Soviet-era cruise missile can fly three times faster than sound and has a range of up to 250 kilometers.
Japan’s cautious reaction
Japan reacted cautiously to the missile test. Tokyo has no plans to file a formal protest with Russia, said Tasuku Matsuki of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He pointed out that Peter the Great Bay is considered a Russian coastal water, although it faces the waters between Russia and Japan. No damage was reported from the test strikes, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi was quoted as saying by the Jiji Press news agency.
Japan “will continue to closely monitor Russia’s military movements.” According to him, given Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, the Russian military has increased its activities in the Far East, including in areas close to Japan.
The eastern Pacific coast of Russia is separated from Japan by the narrow Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. Last week, Russia said two of its Tu-95 strategic bombers “flew in airspace over neutral waters in the Sea of Japan”.
The Russian Pacific Fleet exercises came a week after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Ukraine. Kishida met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev.