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Japan-Russia diplomatic dispute over Khabarovsk monument

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2026-09-10 01:29 UTC → 2026-09-10 23:19 UTC · added ~~removed~~

A diplomatic dispute has emerged between Japan and Russia following the unveiling of a 15-meter monument in Khabarovsk. The statue depicts a Soviet soldier using a rifle butt to destroy a border marker featuring the Japanese Imperial Chrysanthemum symbol. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has protested the installation, calling the depiction of the national symbol being destroyed ‘absolutely unacceptable’ and a matter concerning the sentiments of the Japanese people. Foreign Minister Toshimichi Motegi described the installation as regrettable and non-constructive for bilateral relations. Reports indicate the Japanese Consulate in Khabarovsk had requested the removal of the imperial symbol prior to the monument's inauguration. Russian authorities have refused these requests. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected Japan's demands, accusing Tokyo of ‘selective memory’ regarding historical events. Nikolai Ovseyenko, a deputy head of the Russian Presidential Directorate for Humanitarian Policy, confirmed that Russia will not remove the monument, stating that symbols of Japanese militarism will remain. The monument commemorates the Soviet victory over Japan in 1945 and references the historical division of Sakhalin Island. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has further rebuffed Japanese demands, characterizing them as an attempt to ‘distort the history of Japanese militarism’ and an infringement on Russian sovereignty. Zakharova stated that ‘the flowers themselves are innocent, the罪 lies with the Japanese militarists,’ arguing the symbol was used by imperial forces during wartime.

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