The Japanese government and civic groups on Tuesday criticized Russia for its "illegal occupation" of disputed islands off Hokkaido in a rally demanding their return, with Tokyo using the phrase for the first time in five years following a deterioration of bilateral ties over Moscow's war in Ukraine."It is completely unacceptable that the Northern Territories have yet to be returned since the Soviet Union's illegal occupation of them 77 years ago," a statement adopted during the annual event in Tokyo said in reference to the islands, which Russia calls the Southern Kurils.The territorial ro…READ FULL ARTICLE
