Russia has placed former British defence secretary Ben Wallace on its wanted list as part of an unspecified criminal investigation, according to Russian state media reports published on Wednesday.
Wallace served as the UK’s defence minister from before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 until August 2023. Since leaving office, he has remained a vocal supporter of increased military aid for Kyiv and has repeatedly condemned Russian aggression.
The reports, citing Russia’s Interior Ministry database, did not specify the nature of the investigation. Wallace has not publicly responded to the development.
The move follows calls last October by a regional Russian lawmaker to place Wallace on an international wanted list over remarks he made at the Warsaw Security Forum regarding Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Speaking at the forum in September, Wallace had urged stronger support for Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities, saying Kyiv should be able to make Crimea “unviable” for Russia.
“We have to help Ukraine have the long-range capabilities to make Crimea unviable. We need to choke the life out of Crimea,” Wallace said. “We need to smash the cursed bridge,” referring to the bridge connecting southern Russia to Crimea.
It remains unclear how many foreign officials and public figures are listed in Russia’s Interior Ministry database. Independent Russian outlet Mediazona reported in 2024 that the list included dozens of European politicians and officials.
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