Putin pays his first visit to Pacific island chain claimed by Japan, drawing protest from Tokyo
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with Sakhalin region Governor Valery Limarenko during his visit to the Southern Kuril Island of Iturup | Photo Credit: REUTERS Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (August 13, 2026) visited the Kuril Islands, a Russian-controlled Pacific island chain also claimed by Japan, for the first time, drawing protests…