Accusing Ukrainian servicemen and military officials of crimes by Russia is nothing more than an attempt to impose Russian federal legislation outside its jurisdiction.
Points of attention
- Russia's declaration of wanted Ukrainian officials aims to violate the sovereignty of Ukraine and other countries.
- Russia's actions to search for officials without jurisdiction are an attempt to introduce Russian legislation outside its own territory.
- Analyzes show that these steps are part of the Kremlin's strategy to justify possible aggression against NATO member states.
- The search for Ukrainian servicemen and politicians shows Russia's efforts to justify a future conflict with the Western world.
- The persecution of Ukrainian officials underscores the Kremlin's conviction that Ukraine should not exist as an independent state.
Why does Russia announce wanted list for Ukrainian and foreign officials?
In this way, Russia nonverbally indicates that Ukraine should not exist as an independent state. Analysts of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported this in a recent report.
On June 18, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia declared the former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Petro Mekhed and former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine Viktor Bokiya wanted by Russia and accused them in absentia of war crimes.
On June 17, the Investigative Committee of Russia issued a decision to detain a Ukrainian commander in absentia on charges of involvement in the downing of a Russian A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft in February 2024. At the same time, we emphasise that shooting down a plane is a legal act of war for two warring states.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs previously announced a search for officials from most NATO member countries on the western flank for alleged violations of Russian laws. The Institute draws attention to the fact that this was done while the officials were within their countries' borders, where Russian legislation has no jurisdiction.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Pavlyuk, and the fifth President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, are also wanted by Russia for alleged violations of their legislation.
What Russia demonstrates in this way
Russia's decision to issue a wanted list of Western officials for violating Russian federal laws outside of Russia is part of its efforts to undermine the sovereignty of NATO member states and justify possible future Russian aggression against NATO, the analysts' report emphasised.
The ISW also emphasised that the persecution of Ukrainian military personnel and political leadership participating in a defensive war, in the style of persecuting domestic terrorists, emphasises the Kremlin's firm belief that the Ukrainian state does not exist and should not exist as a political entity separate from Russia.
