Russia fires Vulkan, Granit and Onyx missiles in the Kurils amid tensions with Japan

Russia has released a video showing a coordinated series of missile launches carried out by the Pacific Fleet during military exercises in the southern Kuril Islands, a territory administered by Moscow and claimed by Japan.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the missiles were fired at targets simulating ships of a hypothetical adversary located more than 300 kilometers away.

The operation involved three different launch platforms. The missile cruiser Varyag fired two P-1000 Vulkan anti-ship missiles, while the nuclear-powered submarine Omsk launched P-700 Granit anti-ship cruise missiles.

At the same time, a Bastion coastal defense system unit deployed in the Kuril Islands launched a supersonic P-800 Onyx missile. The combination allowed the Pacific Fleet to train missile launches from surface ships, submarines and land-based units.

The exercise is part of a series of large-scale maneuvers conducted by the Pacific Fleet in August. President Vladimir Putin himself observed the final phase of the activities aboard the Varyag and said that Moscow intends to expand Russia’s military capabilities in the Pacific.

Source and images: Russian Ministry of Defense