On 12 March 2026, Russian security forces carried out searches in Moscow targeting journalists and activists in connection with a criminal case against Sotaproject journalists, according to media reports.
The searches were conducted as part of an in absentia case against journalists Petr Ivanov and Ruslan Terekhov, linked to their report from the town of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region, which were occupied by Ukrainian forces at the time.
According to reports, law enforcement officers searched the home of photographer Yulia Morozova, as well as several activists who had known Terekhov prior to his departure from Russia. Lawyer Natalia Tikhonova stated that she was not allowed to be present during the search at Morozova’s home.
During the search, officers seized all of Morozova’s equipment except for her camera. Searches were also conducted at the home of another journalist, Polina Chistova.