Russian authorities have opened criminal proceedings against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and placed him on the wanted list. This was reported by the TASS agency on Saturday, referring to the official records of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The ministry’s database states that the Ukrainian president is wanted under an article of the Criminal Code, writes TASS. On the basis of which provision Zelenskyj was placed on the list of wanted persons, the file does not specify.
Ukrainian diplomacy called the move a hopeless act by the Russian state apparatus. “We remind you that, unlike the worthless Russian announcements, the ICC arrest warrant against the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on suspicion of war crimes is completely real and valid in 123 countries of the world,” she added.
Russia has launched criminal proceedings against a number of Ukrainian and other European politicians since the start of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In February, it included Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and dozens of other politicians and officials from the Baltic countries, including the head of the Estonian government office Taimar Peterkop and Lithuanian culture minister Simonas Kairys, on the list of wanted persons.
Moscow has also included International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan, who last year prepared an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of war crimes, to the list of wanted persons.
Tags: Russia opened criminal proceedings Zelensky put wanted list
