Russia's Pacific Fleet announced on Aug. 20 that naval vessels and a coastal-defense system fired anti-ship missiles at simulated enemy vessels more than 186 miles (299 kilometers) away, The Wall Street Journal reported the next day. Russia did not disclose the exact launch date or location, but the exercise followed President Vladimir Putin's Aug. 13 visit to Etorofu, the largest of four Russian-controlled Kuril Islands claimed by Japan, and prompted a protest from Tokyo.