Footage released by Russian state television showed President Vladimir Putin aboard the missile cruiser Varyag, the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, watching live‑fire naval exercises and an underwater explosion off Russia’s Far East. He later travelled to one of the archipelago's four main islands, marking the first visit to the Kurils by a Russian president since Dmitry Medvedev went there in 2010.
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the visit as "absolutely unacceptable", saying the islands were an inherent part of Japan. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also summoned Russia's ambassador in Tokyo to lodge a formal protest, warning that the visit could further damage already strained relations.
