Moscow. December 1. INTERFAX-AVN-the Russian military has deployed the S-300V4 air defense system on the Kuril Islands, the Eastern military district (VVO) said on Tuesday.
"Calculations of the s-300V4 anti-aircraft missile system of the Eastern military district have taken up combat duty for air defense on the Kuril Islands," the district said in a statement.
In the message of the press service of the VVO, it is noted that on the eve of readiness to take up combat duty, the commander of the VVO troops, Gennady Zhidko, checked. "He highly appreciated the coherence of the work of the calculations and the duty forces during the training to work out actions when receiving a signal about a violation of the air borders of the Russian Federation," the VVO said in a statement.
The military did not specify on which of the Islands the S-300V4 is on duty.
S-300V4 (JSC "Concern of East Kazakhstan region "Almaz-Antey") - a complex on a tracked track. Refers to the air defense of the Ground forces. Its tasks: protection of troops in defensive and offensive operations, air and missile defense of military facilities.
In recent years, Russia has significantly increased its military grouping in the Kuril Islands.
In April 2019, the Russian defense Ministry announced the introduction of an air defense alert zone on the Kuril island of Kunashir. In August 2018, it was reported that modern su-35 multi-purpose fighters were stationed at Yasny airport on Iturup island.
The newspaper of the Pacific fleet "Combat watch" in the fall of 2016 reported that Russia has placed on Iturup and Kunashir new coastal missile systems "Bal"and " Bastion".
A machine-gun and artillery division is deployed on the Kuril Islands. In may 2017, the press service of the VVO reported that the division receives new models of weapons and military equipment, including drones.
The Russian military reported on the creation of an airfield on the Kuril island of Matua, which accepts light military transport aircraft. In 2016, it was reported that there were plans to create a base for Russian Navy ships on Matua.
The group in the Kuril Islands was reinforced with upgraded T-72B3 tanks.
Japan claims the four southern Kuril Islands of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai, citing the 1855 Treatise on trade and borders. Moscow's position is that the Southern Kuriles became part of the USSR following the Second world war and Russian sovereignty over them, which has an international legal form, is not in doubt.
