Russia sends missiles to Pacific islands claimed by Japan

A military newspaper says that Moscow has deployed new anti-ship missiles on Pacific islands that are controlled by Russia but also claimed by Japan.
The Boyevaya Vakhta (Combat Duty) newspaper of Russia's Pacific Fleet reported yesterday that Bal and Bastion missile systems have been stationed on the islands, called the southern Kurils by Russia and the Northern Territories by Japan.
The disagreement over the islands, seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, has kept the two countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending their wartime hostilities.
The move comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Japan next month. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been pushing for progress in the territorial dispute.