The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has placed journalists Alexander Plyushchev and Galina Timchenko on its wanted list. The move signals an escalation in the pressure faced by media figures critical of the Kremlin.

The Ministry’s database provides scant details, omitting the specific article of the Criminal Code cited in Plyushchev’s case. However, reports suggest that the action against Plyushchev may be linked to alleged violations of regulations governing “foreign agents.” Plyushchev has reportedly been penalized for failing to include the required “foreign agent” label in his publications. He was also previously fined for involvement with the Berlin Center for Carnegie Studies of Russia and Eurasia, an organization deemed “undesirable” in Russia.

Timchenko, the founder and CEO of Meduza, faces a criminal case related to the operations of an “undesirable” foreign or international organization. According to the Investigative Committee, Timchenko allegedly disseminated videos intended to stir up dissent between September 2024 and March 2025.

Plyushchev, a former journalist at Echo of Moscow from 1994 to 2022, currently runs his own YouTube channel. He was designated a foreign agent in October 2022. Timchenko, who founded Meduza after serving as editor-in-chief of Lenta.ru from 2004 to 2014, was labeled a foreign agent in August 2024.