Journalists Aleksandr Plyushchev, Galina Timchenko, and Sergey Kovalchenko have been declared wanted by the authorities.

Journalist Aleksandr Plyushchev has been placed on a wanted list. The police database entry was noted by Mediazona.

There had been no previous reports of any criminal case against him. The specific charges against the journalist are unknown.

In May, RIA Novosti, citing law enforcement sources, reported that a criminal case could be initiated against Plyushchev under the article on evading the obligations of a ‘foreign agent’ (Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code).

Plyushchev was added to the ‘foreign agents’ register in October 2022. According to the Ministry of Justice, the journalist received funding from Ukraine and Germany. He has already been fined several times under administrative articles for violating ‘foreign agent’ legislation.

16:55 The founder of Meduza, Galina Timchenko, has also been placed on the wanted list, reports Meduza.

In May, a criminal case was opened against Timchenko for organising the activities of an “undesirable organisation” (Part 3, Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code). According to the investigation, in September 2024 and March 2025, Timchenko published videos “to create protest sentiment among citizens” and “to involve them in activities” of an “undesirable organisation.”

In January 2023, Meduza was declared an “undesirable organisation.” Since then, staff and speakers for the outlet have repeatedly been issued protocols for alleged cooperation with an “undesirable organisation.”

18:03 The Ministry of Internal Affairs has also placed journalist and editor of Vot Tak, Sergey Kovalchenko, on the wanted list. This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing the ministry’s website.

The report states that Kovalchenko is wanted under an article of the Criminal Code, but the ministry has not specified which one.

The Ministry of Justice added the journalist to the ‘foreign agents’ register in 2023. In April of this year, a criminal case was opened against him for evading the obligations of a ‘foreign agent’ (Part 2, Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code).

The headline was changed following information about Timchenko and Kovalchenko being placed on the wanted list.