The Russian military has started a military exercise involving more than 3,000 troops on a chain of islands — including those disputed with Japan — Russian news agency Interfax reported.
It is the first drill on the disputed islands off Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido since Russia's Foreign Ministry announced earlier this week it will suspend territorial talks with Japan. Russia is withdrawing from the talks over Tokyo's sanctions against Moscow in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
Some hundreds of military vehicles are participating in the drill under a scenario of launching a counterattack against enemy forces attempting to land, the report said Friday.