Russia Fires Supersonic Missiles At Mock Target In Sea Of Japan

The Russian Navy has fired supersonic anti-ship missiles at a dummy target in the Sea of Japan, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

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The ministry said in a statement on its official website: "In the waters of the Sea of Japan, missile ships of the Pacific Fleet fired Moskit cruise missiles at a mock enemy sea target."

The target, located at a distance of about 100 km, was successfully hit by a coordinated and direct hit from two Moskit cruise missiles.

Known as the NATO or SS-N-22 Sunburn, the Moskit missile (P-270) is a medium-range, supersonic, ramjet-fueled cruise missile capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads and designed to destroy a ship at a range of up to 120 km (75 miles).

According to Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, no damage was reported after the missile launches. "Tokyo will remain vigilant against Moscow's military operations," the minister said. 

"As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, Russian forces are also becoming more active in the Far East, including near Japan," Hayashi told a news conference.

A week earlier, two Russian strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons flew over the Sea of Japan for more than seven hours. According to Moscow, it was a "planned flight.