Overview
- President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup on Thursday, August 13, 2026, touring a fish‑processing plant, a hospital and a school and meeting regional officials and residents.
- Japan lodged a formal protest through Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the trip “absolutely unacceptable,” and Tokyo summoned Russia’s ambassador while officials discuss possible measures including tougher sanctions or a temporary ambassadorial recall.
- The trip followed large Pacific Fleet naval exercises that Putin observed and came a day after North Korea fired a ballistic missile, raising regional security concerns about Moscow’s posture in the North Pacific.
- Moscow presented the visit as a routine assertion of sovereignty and local support, and independent reporting notes Russia has in recent years expanded military infrastructure on the Kurils, including coastal defenses and air assets.
- The visit revives the long‑running dispute that has blocked a formal post‑World War II peace treaty between Russia and Japan and could complicate trade and energy links Tokyo must weigh when deciding any reciprocal steps.