Zelensky's 'wanted' notice disappears from Russian Interior Ministry website

Chris York
·2 min read
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President Volodymyr Zelensky's entry on a criminal "wanted" list published online by the Russian Interior Ministry has been taken down, Russian media reported on May 9.

On May 4, Zelensky had appeared on a list of alleged criminals in an entry that said he was being sought "under an article of the criminal code" without providing further details.

His entry included details such as his date of birth and a pre-full-scale invasion picture of the president.

According to the Russian outlet MediaZona, a search for Zelesnky's name on the database now returns no results.

Russia had also placed on the wanted list former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. His entry has now also disappeared.

On May 4, in response to the appearance of the entry, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said it was a "sign of desperation."

"We would like to remind everyone that, unlike the worthless Russian announcements, the International Criminal Court's (ICC) warrant for the arrest of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges is real and enforceable in 123 countries," the ministry's statement read.

The ICC issued arrest warrants on March 17, 2023, for Putin and Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for the forced deportations of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

The court also issued arrest warrants for two Russian military commanders a year later in March for carrying out strikes on Ukrainian electricity infrastructure during the winter of 2022–2023.

Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash and Admiral Viktor Sokolov "are each allegedly responsible" for a number of war crimes, including "directing attacks at civilian sites," the ICC said.

Russia previously placed on the wanted list Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence.

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