Putin visits disputed Etorofu island off Hokkaido, media reports
Etorofu is among a group of islands off the east coast of Hokkaido that are occupied by the former Soviet Union and are claimed by Japan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin embarked on his inaugural visit to a cluster of islands off the eastern coast of Japan's Hokkaido, which are currently under Russian control and are contested by Japan. These islands, collectively known as the Northern Territories, were seized by Russia following the conclusion of World War II. The four islands in question are Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and Habomai.
The Russian leader's trip to Etorofu, the largest and most northerly of the four, coincides with a time when Japan and the international community commemorate the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the end of World War II, and the subsequent Soviet Union's invasion of the northern islands.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
