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Putin’s first Iturup visit draws protest from Japan
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Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first in-person visit to Iturup, a Russian-administered island claimed by Japan, on Thursday (August 13), prompting a strong protest from Tokyo as military activity added to tensions across Northeast Asia.
Key facts
- Iturup lies northeast of Japan’s main northern island of Hokkaido
- A woman who appeared to be in her 30s joked that residents had thought he had arranged it himself.
- Putin’s visit followed major Russian naval exercises in the Far East and North Korea’s missile launch on Wednesday (August 12).
- Four dead and nearly 7,000 stranded as record rain hits Chiba
Summary
Iturup lies northeast of Japan’s main northern island of Hokkaido. Russia administers it as part of the Kuril chain, while Japan calls it Etorofu and claims it as one of the four islands making up its Northern Territories.
Russian state news agency TASS described the trip as Putin’s first physical visit to the disputed island chain. The Russian leader travelled to Iturup after overseeing naval exercises in the country’s Far East.