Just weeks before Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit Japan for a long-awaited summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Moscow deployed anti-ship missile systems to two of the four disputed Kuril Islands, continuing its yearslong military buildup in the island chain. In its latest addition, the Kremlin sent a Bastion system to Etorofu Island and a Bal system to Kunashiri Island. These systems will enable Russia to project power against naval assets around the islands and help Moscow solidify its control over them. However, the latest buildup comes as Russia and Japan near a possible compromise on a peace deal stemming from World War II that could include a settlement of the ongoing territorial dispute, which dates back to 1875.