On 29 January 2026, Ukrainian sources that Russia had placed Vladyslav Balinskyi, an Odesa-based investigative journalist and environmental expert, on an international wanted list following a hearing at the Basmanny District Court in Moscow. The development was initially reported by the National Ecological Center of Ukraine, with which Balinskyi had worked with. The international wanted list is considered valid on the territory of several states of the former Soviet Union, but not valid outside the region.
Balinskyi, the editor-in-chief of the media outlet Zelenyi Lyst, has been targeted in criminal proceedings initiated in Russia in 2025. Russian authorities accuse him of spreading 鈥渇alse information鈥� about the Russian armed forces in connection with publications about Russian war crimes in Bucha and Irpin, as well as missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure and Russia’s shelling of the Odesa coastline. He also faces accusations related to the removal of Soviet symbols from the 鈥淲ings of Victory鈥� memorial in Odesa in September 2024.
According to the National Ecological Center of Ukraine, Balinskyi has faced pressure from Russian authorities since 2014 following his participation in the independent investigative initiative 鈥�2 May Group鈥�, which examined clashes between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian groups on 2 May 2014 in Odesa, and countered Russian disinformation narratives. The organization stated that pressure against him intensified after 2022 due to his documentation of alleged Russian war crimes and environmental damage linked to the war.
Ukrainian organisations also reported that threats of physical violence against Balinskyi have appeared on Russian Telegram channels, where he has been described as a 鈥渘ext target.鈥� The National Ecological Center of Ukraine warned that the case represents a serious security risk and called on Ukrainian authorities and international institutions to document the incident and help ensure the journalist鈥檚 safety.