Russia’s Interior Ministry places German journalist Michael Martens, a correspondent for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), on an international wanted list. Russian investigators link the move to remarks Martens makes during a press conference in Belgrade on Aug. 8, when he asks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about what Europeans can do to help “kill more Russians.”
The question is tied to a meeting in Belgrade involving Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Zelensky. During a question-and-answer session, Martens asks for guidance on how Europeans could increase harm to Russian forces, and later clarifies that he was referring specifically to Russian soldiers. PravdaReport and Kyiv Post both describe the same core exchange and the same date of the Belgrade appearance.
Kyiv Post reports Russia adds Martens to the wanted list on Aug. 15, while PravdaReport focuses on the Interior Ministry’s rationale, saying investigators characterize the remarks as calls for violence. Both accounts describe a Russian criminal case associated with the journalist’s statements.
