The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Russia has declared a number of former Ukrainian top politicians wanted.
This was reported by the publication "Nastoyasheye Vremya" with reference to the departmentʼs database.
The list includes former Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov, former Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, former Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ruslan Khomchak, former head of the Anti-Terrorist Center under the Security Service Vasyl Krutov, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin and former Minister of Information politician Yuriy Stets.
Most of them refer to articles of the Criminal Code, but which ones are unknown. Danilov and Avakov are included in the list of "terrorists and extremists" of “Rosfinmonitoring”.
- The day before, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the fifth President Petro Poroshenko, the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Pavlyuk and the former head of the Ministry of Defense Mykhailo Koval were wanted.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called it "evidence of the desperation of the Russian state machine and propaganda, which do not know what other news will attract attention."
- At the end of 2023, Moscow announced the search for the head of GUR Kyrylo Budanov, the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykola Oleschuk, and the head of SBU Vasyl Malyuk. They, as well as the commander of the Naval Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksiy Neizhpapa are accused of "terrorist attacks" on Russian territory.
- The Ukrainian side perceives these searches as an element of propaganda that has no effect on anything.