"Totally unacceptable": a Russian statue depicting the destruction of Japan's symbol triggers anger in Tokyo

A bronze statue unveiled in Khabarovsk depicts a Soviet soldier destroying a stele adorned with the chrysanthemum, Japan's imperial symbol. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi demanded its removal, calling it "totally unacceptable." The unveiling coincided with the commemoration of the Soviet victory over Japan in World War II, heightening tensions between the two countries, which are already marked by a territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands.