Russia Places Six Foreign Journalists on Wanted List for Illegal Border Crossing, According to Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Russian interior ministry has issued a wanted notice for six foreign journalists for allegedly crossing the Russian border illegally to report from the Kursk region following a cross-border incursion by Ukrainian forces, according to reports on Thursday.

Last month, Russia’s FSB security service announced that it had initiated criminal cases against several journalists, including a British correspondent for CNN, a reporter from Deutsche Welle, a journalist with Italy’s RAI, and three Ukrainians affiliated with the 1+1 TV channel.

The respective employers of the journalists have maintained that their reporting activities in Kursk were legitimate.

Italy’s foreign ministry called in the Russian ambassador to express “surprise at Moscow’s unique decision” regarding RAI reporter Stefania Battistini, as stated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on social media.

Ukrainian forces initiated their incursion on August 6 and, while they have faced pushback from Russian counteroffensives, they remain within Russian territory.