Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the Kuril Islands, an area disputed for decades between Russia and Japan, for the first time up close.
Putin traveled to Iturup Island, which Tokyo considers part of its territory and calls Etorofu. The visit was confirmed by Russian state media and prompted an immediate protest from the Japanese government.
Before heading to Iturup, Putin visited Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, on Sakhalin Island, where he inspected the Russian Pacific Fleet's Varyag missile cruiser and closely followed the final phase of Russian military exercises in the Far East. Then, in Iturup, he visited the Yasny fish processing plant, where he met with employees and local residents and even tasted fish caviar.
📹 Putin Boards Missile Cruiser For Pacific Fleet Drills
The Russian President boarded the Varyag Guards missile cruiser in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to observe the final stage of Pacific Fleet exercises.
The drills were held across the Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk and northwest... pic.twitter.com/2XtYIEjFO8
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) August 12, 2026
The Kuril Islands have long been at the center of a territorial dispute between Moscow and Tokyo. Japan claims sovereignty over the four southern islands, which it calls the “Northern Territories,” while Russia has administered them since the end of World War II. The dispute has also prevented the signing of a formal peace treaty between the two countries after the war.
Putin's visit has drawn a strong reaction from Tokyo. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan "strongly protests" against the visit, insisting that the Northern Territories, including Iturup, are Japanese territory both historically and under international law.
The Russian president's trip also comes after major Pacific Fleet exercises in the Far East and at a time of heightened tensions in the Asia-Pacific. For Moscow, the visit serves as a demonstration of Russian control and presence in one of the region's most sensitive territorial areas, while for Tokyo it is another development that complicates the resolution of the long-standing dispute.
