Russia detains Japanese journalist for spying on strategic island

Russia has detained a Japanese journalist on suspicion of espionage, accusing him of gathering information about the country's defence capabilities on the far eastern island of Sakhalin, amid strained relations between Moscow and Tokyo over the Ukraine war and a longstanding territorial dispute.According to The Guardian, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said the journalist, who works for Japan's Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, was detained in the Sakhalin region.Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova identified him as Imai Yuki and alleged that he had been conducting espionage on Russian territory. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.The FSB alleged that the journalist collected and stored information about Russia's defence capabilities for transfer to Japanese intelligence. He was subsequently transferred to Moscow, where a court ordered his pre-trial detention.Zakharova criticised Tokyo, saying the use of foreign correspondents to gather information that could undermine Russian security was regrettable.