Russia’s Interior Ministry has added investigative reporter Andrey Zakharov to its wanted list, as reported by independent news outlet Mediazona on Wednesday.
The database listing does not specify the criminal charges Zakharov faces.
Background on Zakharov
But the reporter, who now resides in Bulgaria, indicated on his Telegram channel that he was “99% sure” the charges were related to his failure to comply with “foreign agent” regulations.
In 2023, Zakharov was charged twice for not marking his articles and posts as written by a “foreign agent.”
The Russian Justice Ministry declared Zakharov a “foreign agent” in October 2021.
Zakharov, who previously worked for BBC News Russian, RBC, and the investigative outlet Proekt, left Russia soon after, citing “rather unprecedented surveillance” by Russian security services.
Andrey Zakharov's arrest warrant. Photo: Andrey Zakharov on Telegram
Throughout his journalistic career, Zakharov has conducted major investigations.
He has exposed “troll farms” linked to the late Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, which spread misinformation on social media, and reported on the alleged third daughter of Vladimir Putin, whose mother was found to own assets valued at 7.7 billion rubles (€94 million) in 2020.
These investigations likely contributed to his persecution by Russian authorities.
Current Activities
Zakharov now collaborates with the YouTube channel The Insider Live and runs his own Telegram channel.
One of his recent investigations revealed a poetry prank by Russian anti-war activists, who created a profile for a non-existent poet. The poet’s verses, which praised Russia’s war in Ukraine, turned out to be translations of poetry from Nazi-era Germany.
