Russia says arrested Japanese journalist on spying charges

Russia has arrested a Japanese journalist, Yuki Imai from the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, on suspicion of espionage, the foreign ministry announced on Tuesday. The FSB security service claims the reporter was working for Japanese intelligence to gather information about Russia's defenses. The arrest took place on the Far East island of Sakhalin, where the FSB alleges Imai was detained.

He has been placed in pre-trial detention and is expected to remain in custody until December 12. Russian authorities have accused several foreign nationals, particularly from what they call "unfriendly" countries, of working for Western intelligence services. Russian media reported that Tokyo was attempting to use its correspondents in Russia to gather information aimed at undermining the security of their state, a claim Tokyo has dismissed as regrettable but not isolated.

This incident follows a territorial dispute between Russia and Japan over the Kuril Islands, which Russia has controlled since the end of World War II.