Japan protests Putin’s first visit to disputed Kuril Islands since 2010

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands for the first time on Thursday, triggering a strong protest from Japan, which also claims the territory.

The Kremlin released video showing Putin on one of the four main islands, where Russian media said he toured a fish-processing plant and sampled local caviar. It was the first visit to the islands by a Russian president since Dmitry Medvedev travelled there in 2010.

The islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, were seized by the Soviet Union in the final days of World War II in 1945 and have remained a major source of tension between Moscow and Tokyo.

“The Northern Territories are an inherent part of Japan’s territory, both historically and under international law,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters. She called Putin’s visit “absolutely unacceptable” and warned that it could further complicate efforts to improve bilateral relations.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolai Nozdrev to lodge a “strong protest”, saying the visit could have an “extremely negative impact” on already strained relations.

Russia rejected Japan’s objection, with its embassy saying the islands were “an integral part of the Russian Federation” and that their status was not open to discussion with other countries.

Putin travelled to the Kurils after visiting Sakhalin on Wednesday, where he oversaw naval exercises and held a meeting on the security of Russia’s eastern borders.

The dispute comes amid a broader deterioration in Japan-Russia relations following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Japan has joined G7 sanctions against Russia and provided financial and non-lethal military assistance to Kyiv. Putin criticised Japan’s sanctions as “unprovoked” on Wednesday.

Russia has also strengthened military cooperation with China, including joint naval and air exercises around Japan, while North Korea has supported Moscow’s war effort by providing troops and artillery ammunition.

The Kuril Islands stretch from Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula toward Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. Around 20,000 Russian residents live on the disputed islands, which are rich in fishing resources and mineral deposits.

The Soviet Union expelled about 17,000 Japanese residents after taking control of the islands in 1945. Their strategic importance increased during the Cold War, when Moscow established military and naval facilities there.

The islands remain heavily militarised, including with Bastion coastal defence missile systems and Su-35 fighter aircraft. Analysts say Putin’s visit could serve as a reminder of Russia’s military leverage in the region as well as Moscow’s displeasure over Japan’s sanctions.