MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the disputed Kuril Islands for the first time, prompting a strong protest from Japan, which maintains its claim over the territory seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War Two.
The Kremlin released video of Mr Putin visiting a fish-processing plant in the islands, where Russian media reported that he was presented with caviar.
Long-range sanctions are working. Putin has made it to the Kuril Islands for the first time
Apparently, the deeper the strikes reach into Russia, the stronger the Kremlin ruler’s urge to inspect the farthest corners of his domain.
On Iturup, Putin started with the Yasny fish… pic.twitter.com/cfsUhkDgbW
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 13, 2026
The visit came after Mr Putin travelled to the nearby island of Sakhalin, where Russia’s navy was conducting military exercises.
In Sakhalin, he also held a meeting on “ensuring the security of Russia’s eastern borders”, according to Russian state media.
Japan Protests
Japan strongly objected to the visit, saying the islands are an integral part of its territory.
“The Northern Territories… are an inherent part of Japan’s territory both historically and under international law, and the government of Japan strongly protests this visit,” Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.
The dispute has long complicated relations between Tokyo and Moscow. Tensions have worsened since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while Moscow has strengthened ties with China and North Korea.
Long-Running Territorial Dispute
The four disputed islands — Kunashir, Habomai, Shikotan and Iturup — form part of the volcanic Kuril archipelago, which stretches from Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula towards Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.
The Soviet Union seized the islands in the final days of World War Two in 1945 and deported their Japanese population of around 17,000 people.
The islands are strategically located and have remained important to Russia because of their military position and rich fishing grounds. They also contain mineral deposits, including gold and silver.
Around 20,000 Russian residents now live across the contested islands, despite the harsh climate.
Dispute Blocks Peace Treaty
The territorial dispute has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal peace treaty to end their World War Two hostilities.
In 1956, when diplomatic relations were restored, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev suggested that two of the disputed islands could be returned to Japan under a future peace agreement.
Negotiations resumed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, but successive efforts have failed to resolve the dispute.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev became the first Russian leader to visit the disputed territory in 2010 and returned several times later as prime minister.
Putin’s latest visit is likely to further underline Moscow’s control over the islands while adding another point of tension to already strained relations with Tokyo.
