Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup Island in the disputed Kuril archipelago has angered officials in Tokyo, writes Politico.
The island, called Etorofu in Japanese, is located northeast of Japan, about 100 kilometers off the coast of Hokkaido in the Kuril Islands archipelago, and is claimed by both Moscow and Tokyo. Like other islands in the archipelago, Iturup is administered by Russia.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi wrote on the X on the 13th of August that he had learned of Putin’s visit to Iturup. He noted that the Northern Territories, including Iturup, are part of Japanese territory both historically and under international law, and
the Japanese government expresses a strong protest against the Russian visit.
Meanwhile, Moscow insists that the Kuril Islands are part of Russia after Japan’s defeat in World War II. The Kremlin has a strategically important military base in Iturup. In 2025, Japan protested Russian firing exercises in the waters surrounding the islands, including Japanese territorial waters, and said the Kremlin’s armament of the region was unacceptable.
According to Russian media reports, Putin visited a fish farm on the island, where the dictator was told that the waters around the Kuril Islands are currently teeming with tuna weighing more than 300 kilograms.
Read also: Russia boosts its defense in the Kuril Islands