Russian officials have placed Andrei Soldatov on a wanted list and blocked his bank accounts, according to investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov, who is recognised for his reportage of Russian security agencies.

“My Monday: my accounts in Russian banks are under arrest, plus I’m placed on Russia’s wanted list,” Soldatov, who co-founded the Agentura.ru website, posted on Twitter.

Soldatov, who could not be reached by phone, was posted on the Interior Ministry’s website as sought under an unclear provision of the penal code.

Soldatov claimed in a subsequent Telegram post that the lawsuit against him was launched in a similar fashion to the case against two journalists accused of distributing “false information” concerning Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.

Soldatov wrote, “We are clarifying the details.”

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Russia approved a law providing for up to 15 years in prison for individuals convicted of purposefully distributing “fake” news about Russia’s military just days after sending troops into Ukraine on February 24.

Moscow claims that its “special military operation” is intended to neutralise a security threat posed by Ukraine and to safeguard Russia’s Russian-speaking citizens from persecution.

These accusations have been condemned by Ukraine and Western countries as spurious pretexts for a land grab that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, the destruction of cities, and the displacement of 14 million people.