Story perspectives

Russia Adds ex-UK Defence Secretary to Wanted List over Crimea

5/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Russian Interior Ministry added former UK defence secretary Ben Wallace to its wanted-persons database after his Warsaw Security Forum remarks that Crimea should become “unviable.”
Mediazona says the ministry added more than 31,211 new notices between September 2025 and March 2026, many aimed at foreign officials and activists.
The list also includes Belarusian journalists, human-rights defenders and opposition activists, showing a broader pattern of political persecution.

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Story summary

The Russian Interior Ministry added former UK defence secretary Ben Wallace to its wanted-persons database after his Warsaw Security Forum remarks that Crimea should become “unviable.”
Mediazona says the ministry added more than 31,211 new notices between September 2025 and March 2026, many aimed at foreign officials and activists.
The list also includes Belarusian journalists, human-rights defenders and opposition activists, showing a broader pattern of political persecution.