The key facts

  • The FSB detained Japanese journalist Imai Yuki (Hokkaido Shimbun) in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk before his flight out of Russia
  • According to the FSB, he was collecting data on mobilized men and volunteers from the Kuril Islands on assignment from Japanese intelligence
  • On October 13 the Lefortovo court ordered him held in custody; under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code he faces up to 20 years in prison

Detention before the flight

Russia's Federal Security Service detained a Japanese citizen — a correspondent for the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper — in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk as he was about to fly out of Russia. According to DW, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on October 13 that the journalist had been detained by the FSB; he held accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry. The detainee was taken to Moscow. In the operational footage released by the FSB, the detainee's face is blurred; judging by the footage, he was detained in a hotel and made to remove the blocking from his devices. According to reports, the journalist was greatly surprised when the charges were presented.

The FSB's accusation

According to the FSB, the detainee, on assignment from Japanese intelligence, collected and stored information relating to Russia's defense capability, which, the security service claims, was intended to be used against the country's security. In particular, the FSB believes that Imai Yuki collected data on the number of mobilized men and volunteers from residents of the Kuril Islands sent to the war against Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry, as cited by Kun.uz, stated that Tokyo had been attempting to obtain security-related information through a foreign correspondent with journalist status in Russia. No reaction from the Japanese side or the editorial office was included in the cited reports.

The court and possible punishment

According to Interfax, citing law enforcement agencies, on October 13 the Moscow City Court, through the Lefortovo court, ordered the correspondent held in pre-trial detention; he will be held in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention facility. According to the court's records, this concerns 34-year-old Imai Yuki, detained in an espionage case (Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code). According to Interfax, if his guilt is proven, the journalist faces imprisonment for a term of 10 to 20 years.

What is known about the journalist

The Telegram channel 'Ostorozhno, novosti' reports that Imai Yuki had been visiting Russia since at least 2014 and studied at Saint Petersburg State University; according to the outlet, he last arrived in the summer of 2026. His social media from that period featured photographs of Russian theaters, museums and conservatories; in his posts he admitted to an interest in Soviet military equipment as well as Russian culture — classical music, ballet and Soviet cinema. In footage of the detention, a book by Ivan Bunin is visible in his suitcase. The journalist prepared materials for Hokkaido Shimbun about the unveiling in Khabarovsk of a monument commemorating Japan's victory in World War II, elections to the State Duma, and relations between Russia and North Korea. His last article, according to the channel, was published on October 5 — a report from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk about North Korean citizens in the region.