Four Japanese fishing boats have been detained in the area of South Kuril Islands, Andrei Burlak, chief of the Sakhalin coast guard department of Russia's Federal Security Service, announced on Thursday according to Itar-Tass.
The Japanese boats were spotted in Russian territorial waters in Kunashir Strait at 07:33 local time. They are suspected of conducting unlawful fishery operations, Burlak said.
The boats are to be escorted toYuzhno-Kurilsk for an inquiry.