Etorofu, Pyongyang and Ulchi sent new signals at once
Russia fired Bastion missiles from Etorofu, North Korea launched a short-range salvo despite reduced drills and Ulchi Freedom Shield ended with half its programme unfinished.
Geopolitics··Night
The Kuril launch tightened the file between Tokyo and Moscow
Russia's Pacific fleet said it fired Bastion surface-to-ship missiles from Etorofu, the largest of the four disputed islands, and hit targets about 300 km away. According to official accounts cited by the Guardian, the exercise also involved a nuclear-powered submarine and a guided-missile cruiser. Japan's foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, said moves to strengthen military power on the islands his country calls the Northern Territories cannot be tolerated. Vladimir Putin's visit to Etorofu last week had already led both capitals to summon ambassadors.[1]
Pyongyang still answered the reduced drill with a missile salvo
South Korea's military said about 10 short-range ballistic missiles were launched from the Pyongyang area toward eastern waters. The barrage came a day after Washington scaled back joint drills with Seoul. The Associated Press reports that Donald Trump defended the cutback as a bid to restart diplomacy, while Kim Yo Jong said the exercises remained provocative. In the same report, the salvo is presented as another sign that Pyongyang is still trying to widen its bargaining room through military display.[2]
Ulchi's early finish blurred alliance reassurance
Ulchi Freedom Shield ended on Friday with half of its programme unfinished. The drill involved 18,000 South Korean troops and 11 US allies, but Trump had ordered the Pentagon days earlier to reduce it substantially. Foreign minister Cho Hyun tried to present the decision as mutual, yet admitted that Seoul had no advance warning of Trump's intent. Jo Bee-yun told the BBC that the unilateral timing has shaken South Korean confidence in the alliance, and concern is growing in Seoul that the 27,000 US troops in the country could be reduced.[3]
