In brief
Yuki Imai, a correspondent for the Hokkaido Shimbun, was charged with espionage for allegedly gathering defence intelligence for Japan. The arrest comes as Russia and Japan strain over the disputed Kuril Islands, highlighted by President Putin’s recent visit. Japanese authorities say they are verifying facts and will respond, while Russia warns of potential legal consequences. The case follows a history of similar detentions and reflects the fragile diplomatic climate between Moscow and Tokyo.
Russian authorities have charged a Japanese journalist for espionage, accusing him of gathering information related to Moscow's defence capabilities for Tokyo.
The journalist, identified as Yuki Imai from the Hokkaido Shimbun, was detained in Russia's far eastern region of Sakhalin, a day before he was due to leave the country.
The arrest comes as tensions worsen between the two nations after Russian leader Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands in August.
Japan has not commented at length on the arrest. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities are “verifying the facts” and will “respond appropriately” thereafter.
Russian authorities allege that Imai had “acted on the instructions of Japan's national intelligence service” to gather information about people involved in a special military operation on the Kuril Islands, state news agency TASS reported.
The Kuril islands sit between Hokkaido in northern Japan and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The archipelago is administered by Russia, but four of the southernmost islands are claimed by Japan, which calls them the Northern Territories.
Imai has been taken to Moscow and will be remanded until 12 December, before the trial begins, according to Interfax.
Those convicted of espionage in Russia can be jailed up to 20 years in prison.
“Tokyo's attempts to use its correspondents in Russia, who hold foreign journalist status, to gather information aimed at undermining our country's security are regrettable,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
She noted that today’s incident is not isolated, but did not name other journalists or media outlets allegedly involved.
Imai’s published work has covered Russia's relations with North Korea and life in Sakhalin.
Hokkaido Shimbun ran a report on the arrest without naming the reporter, but did not comment further on the incident.
Russia and Japan have been locked in a dispute over the Kurils for decades, and it is the main reason Moscow and Tokyo did not sign a peace treaty after World War Two.
Takaichi slammed Putin's visit in August, saying it "wounded the feelings of the Japanese people" and is "incompatible with Japan's consistent position on the Northern Territories."
Moscow dismissed her criticism as "politically inappropriate" and "legally unfounded."
Over the years, attempts to resolve the territorial dispute have made little progress. Bilateral ties remain frosty, with Japan imposing sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last week, Moscow again angered Tokyo for requesting the extradition of the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), who is Japanese.
The president Tomoko Akane, along with other ICC officials, has been on Russia's wanted list since 2023 after the court issued an arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes in Ukraine.
In 2023, Russia detained The Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges and later sentenced him to 16 years in prison. Gershkovich, a US citizen, was released in a 2024 prisoner swap.
In 2019, Moscow detained an unnamed Japanese journalist from Kyodo News on suspicion of attempting to obtain military secrets, ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.
