Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines

"As part of pre-planned drills, Russian submarines, specifically the Ufa class diesel-electric submarine of the Russian Pacific Fleet, fired Kalibr cruise missiles at sea and coastal targets in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan," TASS quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the Kalibr cruise missiles hit all decoy targets during the exercise, and had a range exceeding 1,000 km.

The Ufa is an improved version of the Kilo-class submarine and is considered to be among the quietest submarines in the world. The Russian Navy received this class of submarines in November 2022.

The Ufa submarine is 74 m long, with a displacement of more than 3,900 tons. The submarine's normal operating depth is 240 m below sea level, and its maximum depth is 300 m.

In addition to its anti-submarine and reconnaissance capabilities like the Kilo-class submarines, the Ufa is equipped with advanced sonar systems and can carry a variety of torpedoes for both offensive and defensive purposes.

Ufa is said to be very difficult to detect, and operates effectively in diverse environments thanks to its ability to maintain covert operations for long periods of time.

The Kalibr cruise missile is designed to reach subsonic speeds and can destroy targets at a distance of up to 2,000 km, according to TASS.

The Japan Self-Defense Forces and the US Navy's 7th Fleet based in Japan have not commented on the information.