Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first personal visit to the Kuril Islands in the Far East, drawing a sharp diplomatic protest from Japan, which maintains a competing territorial claim over the archipelago.
Following an official stop in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin Island, the Russian president traveled to Iturup, one of the primary islands within the chain, where he inspected local infrastructure including an educational facility and a fish processing enterprise.
The visit coincided with military exercises conducted by the Russian Pacific Fleet in the surrounding maritime zone, during which Putin reiterated that Russia’s sovereignty over the territory is rooted in post-war international agreements.
The Japanese government responded through Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who issued a statement condemning the action and asserting that the region, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, constitutes an integral part of Japanese territory under historical and legal frameworks.
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The territorial dispute over the four islands—known as Kunashir, Habomai, Shikotan, and Iturup in Russia, and Kunashiri, Habomai, Shikotan, and Etorofu in Japan—dates back to August 1945, when Soviet forces seized the archipelago in the closing days of World War II.
Diplomatic relations between Moscow and Tokyo have grown increasingly strained in recent years, particularly after Japan officially reclassified the islands as “illegally occupied” following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
While previous Russian officials, including former President Dmitry Medvedev, have visited the islands in past years, Putin’s arrival marks a significant milestone in the ongoing territorial dispute between the two nations.
