Putin visits Kuril islands claimed by Japan

President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with officers onboard the Russian Navy’s guided missile cruiser Varyag during naval drills on the far eastern Sakhalin Island on Aug 13, 2026. (Pool Photo via AFP)

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the far-eastern Kuril islands for the first time on Thursday, prompting a “strong” protest by Japan which also claims the territory.

Russian-Japanese relations have long been dogged by tensions over the contested islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and seized by the Soviet Union in 1945.