Russia detains Japanese journalist on suspicion of spying

Russia said ​on Tuesday it had detained a Japanese journalist on suspicion of espionage and accused Tokyo of using media correspondents to gather intelligence, marking ‌a new low in bilateral relations that have worsened sharply in recent months. Russia’s Foreign Ministry identified the journalist as Yuki Imai and the FSB security agency said he worked for the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, which is a regional newspaper for Japan’s northern island. He was detained in the far eastern Sakhalin region the day before he planned to leave the country, the FSB said without specifying ​the date. It accused him of collecting and storing information on Russia’s defence capabilities for intelligence purposes that it said could be used against Russian ​security. The Hokkaido Shimbun did not confirm the journalist’s identity, saying only that it was still confirming details and that the reporter’s ⁠safety was its top priority.