Putin visits the Kuril Islands as Japan issues a formal diplomatic protest

Kuril Islands Territorial Dispute·Latest event August 13, 2026

Aug 13

Putin visits the Kuril Islands as Japan issues a formal diplomatic protest

Putin traveled to the Pacific island chain to reassert Russian sovereignty over territory seized from Japan at the end of World War II. This visit was intended to protest Japanese sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine. The Japanese government responded by issuing a formal protest against the move. The trip adds significant pressure to the already strained relationship between Moscow and Tokyo. Russia currently administers the islands. Japan maintains its own claim to the territory it calls the Northern Territories. Japanese officials criticized the visit as a move that complicates regional security.

Putin's first trip to the Pacific island chain claimed by Japan draws a protest from TokyoJapan slams Putin's visit to disputed Kuril Islands, occupied by the USSR during WWIIPutin Visits Islands Seized from Japan in World War II, Angering Tokyo

Aug 13

Putin visits disputed Kuril Islands as Japan issues formal protest

Putin toured a fish processing facility during his first trip to the island chain, which Russia administers but Japan claims as its Northern Territories. The visit to the Pacific islands marks a significant moment in the long-standing territorial disagreement between the two nations. Putin sampled fish roe during the stop, according to reports from Russian state media. The Japanese government responded by lodging a formal diplomatic protest against the visit. Officials in Tokyo stated that the move is incompatible with Japan's position on the islands. While Russia maintains the islands are part of its territory, Japan continues to claim sovereignty over the southern portion of the chain.

Russia's Putin visits disputed Kuril Islands, samples fish roe, media sayJapan protests as Russia's Putin visits disputed Kuril IslandsPutin pays his first visit to Pacific island chain claimed by Japan, drawing a protest from Tokyo | CNN