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Military operation in Ukraine

Russia puts some foreign reporters on wanted persons list over illegal border crossing

They are Italy’s RAI television reporter Stefania Battistini, Deutsche Welle reporter Nicholas Simon Connolly, CNN reporter Nick Paton Walsh and Ukrainian reporters Natalya Nagornaya, Olesya Borovik and Diana Butsko

MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/. The Russian Interior Ministry put on a wanted-persons list several reporters from Italian, German and Ukrainian news media.

They are Stefania Battistini, a reporter for Italy’s RAI television; Nicholas Simon Connolly, a reporter for the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (designated in Russia as a foreign agent media outlet); CNN reporter Nick Paton Walsh; and Ukrainian reporters Natalya Nagornaya, Olesya Borovik and Diana Butsko, according to the ministry’s database.

A database entry for Battistini, for example, says she is wanted for a criminal offense, without naming specific charges. There are similar entries for the other reporters.

Russia’s Federal Security Service said on August 27 it was investigating illegal border crossings by these reporters and one other journalist, Italy’s Simone Traini. The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that Moscow regards the activities of Western media outlets in Russia’s Kursk Region as evidence of their direct involvement in hybrid aggression. The diplomat said foreign journalists are allowed to visit Russia only if they have a visa and are accredited by the Foreign Ministry.

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Foreign policy Military operation in Ukraine

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