Russian propaganda media reports about Moscow allegedly placing President Volodymyr Zelensky on a wanted list is a "sign of desperation," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on May 4.
Zelensky has been placed on a wanted list by the Russian Interior Ministry, which said he was being sought "under an article of the criminal code" without providing further details, Russian state-controlled media wrote earlier in the day.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said that such a move demonstrates "the desperation of the Russian state machine and propaganda, which are at a loss as to what else to invent to garner attention."
Russia also placed on the wanted list former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Ukraine's Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Pavliuk, according to the state-run news agency TASS.
"We would like to remind everyone that, unlike the worthless Russian announcements, the International Criminal Court's (ICC) warrant for the arrest of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges is real and enforceable in 123 countries," the ministry's statement read.
The ICC issued arrest warrants on March 17, 2023, for Putin and Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for the forced deportations of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The court also issued arrest warrants for two Russian military commanders a year later in March for carrying out strikes on Ukrainian electricity infrastructure during the winter of 2022–2023.
Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash and Admiral Viktor Sokolov "are each allegedly responsible" for a number of war crimes, including "directing attacks at civilian sites," the ICC said.
Russia previously placed on the wanted list Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence.
Chris York
