Putin Visits Disputed Kuril Island as Japan Lodges Protest

By Staff, Agencies

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup, one of the Kuril Islands claimed by Japan, Russian media reported Thursday, prompting a protest from Tokyo.

The visit came a day after Russia held major naval exercises in the Far East and the DPRK launched a ballistic missile.

The territorial dispute over the islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, has prevented Moscow and Tokyo from formally concluding a post-World War II peace treaty.

According to TASS, the visit was Putin’s first in person to the island chain. He toured a fish-processing plant and met local residents.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi condemned the visit, insisting that the islands, including Iturup, belong to Japan under what Tokyo describes as historical and international-law grounds.

Meanwhile, Putin sampled local fish roe and spoke with residents during his visit, which Moscow presented as part of his tour of Russia’s Far East following the naval exercises.

The visit also came amid heightened tensions around the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK, a Russian ally, launched a ballistic missile toward waters off the peninsula ahead of major US-South Korean military exercises scheduled for August 17–27.

Pyongyang has repeatedly denounced the drills as rehearsals for invasion, while Washington and Seoul describe them as defensive.

The DPRK has also criticized Japan’s military buildup, with state media accusing Tokyo of reviving militarism and using alleged threats from Pyongyang to justify expanding its arms capabilities.