On 8 September 2025, Russian media reported that the country’s Ministry of Interior had placed Lithuanian journalist Eldoradas Butrimas on Russia’s ‘wanted’ list.
While the ‘wanted’ notice did not specify what he was accused of, earlier reporting by state-controlled Russian media suggested that Butrimas had been targeted in a criminal case related to “illegal border crossing”.
The criminal case would be linked to a trip by the journalist to parts of Russia’s Kursk region, which were under Ukrainian control at the time. Butrimas reportedly posted footage from the region on social media, but later deleted these posts.
Russian authorities earlier added the journalist to the country’s list of “terrorists and extremists”.