Key facts
- Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup island in the Kuril Islands.
- Japan has formally protested President Putin's visit.
- Japan asserts that the Kuril Islands are its territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup island, located in the Kuril Islands chain. During his visit, he sampled local fish roe. Japan has formally protested President Putin's visit to the islands, which it claims as its own territory.