Russian deputy PM visits disputed island off Japan's Hokkaido

Russia's deputy prime minister visited one of the disputed islands off Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido on Friday, a local resident said, as bilateral relations remain strained amid the prolonged Russian invasion of Ukraine.The trip to Etorofu Island by Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev was the first visit to the four Russian-held, Japanese-claimed islands by a Russian minister since President Vladimir Putin's fifth term in office began in May.The Japanese Foreign Ministry said it has lodged a protest with the Russian Embassy in Tokyo over the visit.Trutnev is in charge of Russian …READ FULL ARTICLE