Putin visits Kuril islands claimed by Japan for first time

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the far-eastern Kuril islands for the first time on Thursday (Jun 13), prompting a "strong" protest by Japan which also claims the territory.Russian-Japanese relations have long been dogged by tensions over the contested islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and seized by the Soviet Union in 1945.The Kremlin posted a video of Putin in the Kuril Islands, with Russian media saying he visited a fish-processing plant where he was given caviar.Putin travelled to the Kurils after visiting the nearby Russian island of Sakhalin, where Russia's navy was conducting drills. In Sakhalin, Putin held a meeting "on ensuring the security of Russia's eastern borders", RIA Novosti said.Japan, whose ties with Russia have worsened further since th