Russia has indefinitely banned the entry of 30 Japanese citizens, including a Foreign Ministry official, in response to Japan’s new sanctions against Moscow’s actions in the Ukraine war.
According to Reuters, on November 12, 2025, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a list of individuals subject to the ban, including Toshihiro Kitamura, the press spokesman for the Japanese Foreign Ministry, as well as several journalists and researchers.
The Russian Foreign Ministry statement said that this action is retaliation against Tokyo’s anti-Russian policies.
Last September, Japan imposed sanctions on several Russian companies and individuals and lowered the import ceiling for Russian crude oil, as part of coordination with Western countries to increase economic pressure on Moscow.
The Japanese government called the ban “completely unacceptable” and the country’s embassy in Moscow condemned it.
The incident escalates diplomatic tensions and relations between the two countries, which have been severely strained since the start of the Ukraine war.
