# Putin visits disputed Kuril island, drawing Japan’s protest 2026-08-13T06:50:53+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup, one of four southern Kuril Islands claimed by Japan, in his first reported personal trip to the chain. Russian state media said he toured a fish-processing plant, sampled fish roe and met residents. Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi called the islands Japanese territory under history and international law and said Tokyo strongly protested the visit. The Soviet Union seized the islands in 1945 and deported about 17,000 Japanese residents. Russia administers them today, with about 20,000 people living there, while Japan calls them the Northern Territories. The dispute has prevented a formal post-World War II peace treaty. Relations worsened after Japan sanctioned Russia over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Moscow suspended peace talks. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com - hindustantimes.com - news.abplive.com - nationalheraldindia.com Tags: Kuril Islands, Northern Territories, Pacific Fleet, Russia-Japan dispute, Ukraine war, Vladimir Putin Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/putin-visits-disputed-kuril-islands-as-russia-japan-ties-sour/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/putin-visits-disputed-kuril-islands-as-russia-japan-ties-sour/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.