Moscow: Russia on Thursday said Japan's recent actions over the disputed Kuril Islands have brought relations to the 'point of no return,' criticizing 'anti-Russian rallies' and comparisons to Ukraine made during events marking 'Northern Territories Day.'

According to Anadolu Agency, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a press briefing that rallies held on Feb. 7 in Tokyo and other cities were 'defiantly anti-Russian in nature.' She noted that Japan's leadership reiterated what she described as 'alleged claims' to part of Russia's Kuril Islands, which Tokyo refers to as the 'Northern Territories.'

Zakharova also objected to what she called 'inappropriate' parallels drawn between the territorial dispute and the situation in Ukraine. She questioned why Japan continues to draw such parallels, emphasizing that Russia's sovereignty over the Kuril Islands was determined by the results of World War II, is enshrined in the Russian Constitution, and 'is not subject to revision.'

The dispute over the southern Kuril Islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories, has long been a point of contention between Russia and Japan. The unresolved territorial issue has prevented the two countries from signing a formal peace treaty since World War II, with tensions deepening in recent years amid Japan's sanctions over the Ukraine conflict.