On December 1, Russia announced it had deployed S-300V4 air defense systems to disputed islands claimed by Japan. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said the S-300s were positioned on the island of Iturup, part of what Russia calls the Southern Kuril Islands and what Japan calls the Northern Territories. Russia seized the island chain towards the end of World War II. The S-300s join Tor-M2 short-range air defenses already stationed on the islands.