Russia aims to undermine Zelensky with wanted list, says ISW report
10:02 AM EDT, May 5, 2024
The ISW highlighted that, besides Zelensky, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs' list includes key political figures and former President Petro Poroshenko, as well as the commander of the land forces, General Oleksandr Pavluk. A noteworthy aspect mentioned by the ISW is that even the Russian state media has observed that the specific crimes these individuals are accused of committing were not detailed.
Russian state media has acknowledged the lack of specificity regarding the alleged crimes of Zelensky, Pavluk, or Poroshenko. The Institute explained that a Russian military blogger hoped that Zelensky's arrest warrant would restrict him from visiting countries with extradition treaties with Russia.
The ISW's most recent report connects Russia's pursuit of Zelensky and the Kremlin's "Majdan3" operation. A major objective of this operation is to challenge the legitimacy of Zelensky's presidency, which is expected to extend due to the ongoing war preventing the scheduling of new elections.
The document's authors noted that including Zelensky, Pavluk, and Poroshenko on the Russian wanted list is likely a segment of the Russian information operation "Majdan3." It's also part of the Kremlin's broader scheme to disrepute Ukraine's pro-Western governments established after the 2014 Ukrainian Euromaidan revolution and diplomatically isolate Ukraine.