HARSH CLIMATE, FEW PEOPLE
The Soviet Union took the strategically located volcanic archipelago north of Hokkaido in the final days of World War II, and has maintained a military presence there ever since.
The contested isles are part of the volcanic Kuril archipelago, which runs in a broad arc from Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula down to Japan’s main northern island Hokkaido.
Their population of about 20,000 Russian citizens lives in a harsh climate, but the islands have mineral deposits including gold and silver, and rich fishing grounds.
After the islands were occupied in 1945, Moscow deported their Japanese population of about 17,000 people.
The islands then acquired strategic importance, providing air and sea bases during the Cold War as the Soviet Union confronted the United States and Japan.
“The Kurils have been fortified with Bastion coastal defence missile systems and SU-35 fighter aircraft. These provide Russia with instruments of control over sea lanes in the region, as well as leverage against Japan’s claim to the islands,” said Yee Kuang Heng, a professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo.
“Putin’s visit may be a reminder of the cards he holds and also his displeasure with Japan’s continuing sanctions on Russia imposed after the invasion of Ukraine,” Heng told AFP.
