A group of islands at the center of a growing dispute with Japan will be armed with anti-ship missiles and attack helicopters, the armed forces' General Staff said Tuesday.
P-800 rockets, known as Yakhonts, will be deployed on the islands, called the southern Kurils by Moscow and the Northern Territories by Tokyo, Interfax quoted a representative of the General Staff as saying.
The rockets have a 300-kilometer range, allowing Russia to target ships well into Japanese waters.
Russia also plans to send Mi-28N battle helicopters to the islands, Interfax said.
(Reuters)