Russia's top prosecutor paid a visit Friday to parts of the Moscow-controlled, Tokyo-claimed islands off Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, islanders said.
Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov is the first senior Russian government official to visit the disputed islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, since Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took office last month.
The rare visit by Moscow's top investigative official to Kunashiri and Shikotan islands is expected to draw backlash from Tokyo.