Russia arrest of Japanese reporter espionage 2026
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Russia arrests Japanese journalist on espionage allegations
In 2019, Moscow detained an unnamed Japanese journalist from Kyodo News on suspicion of attempting to obtain military secrets.
Sanae Takaichi said Putin's visit to the islands wounded the feelings of the Japanese people and is incompatible with Japan's position on the Northern Territories.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands in August.
Russia arrests Japanese reporter for alleged espionage
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs named the journalist as Imai Yuki, who worked for Japan’s Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper.
The Japanese government was trying to verify reports of the journalist’s detention, according to an official at Tokyo’s embassy in Moscow cited by Japan’s Kyodo news agency.
The FSB said the journalist was arrested in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk as he was preparing to leave Russia.