Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin is expected to leave his post, possibly late next month, and it is not yet known who will succeed him, a Russian government source said Friday.
His departure comes amid strained bilateral ties over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began in February and has sparked condemnation and triggered international sanctions against Moscow.
Galuzin, 62, who assumed the ambassadorship in March 2018, is renowned for his excellent Japanese skills even among Russian diplomats who are experts on Japan, the source said.
His current stint is his fourth time serving in Japan dating back to the Soviet era.
Galuzin is also known to adhere closely to Moscow's position on issues concerning its war in Ukraine, and the Russian-held, Japan-claimed islands off Hokkaido, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.
In a May interview, he criticized Japan for its sanctions against his country over the invasion as continued unfriendly actions that make impossible peace treaty negotiations concerning the islands, which Moscow seized in 1945 following Japan's surrender in World War II.
Still, Galuzin has continued to make diplomatic gestures, including laying flowers in August at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima two days ahead of the traditional annual ceremony, to which he was uninvited.