According to the Russian Interior Ministry’s database, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, its state secretary, and Lithuania’s cultural minister are among those wanted by the police of Russia. Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said Kallas is wanted for “desecration of historical memory”. According to Russian news agency TASS, Baltic officials were accused of “destroying monuments to Soviet soldiers”. According to the ministry database, the list also included Estonian State Secretary Taimar Peterkop and Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys.
Russia has put several dozen Baltic politicians on its wanted list, ranging from municipal deputies to members of national parliaments
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that “this is only the beginning.” “Crimes against the memory of the world’s liberators from Nazism and fascism must be prosecuted,” Zakharova said in a statement. Kallas’ spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment. A spokesman for Lithuanian company Kairys could not confirm the order to Reuters. Baltic nations once part of the Soviet Union have announced plans to remove Soviet-era monuments. Kallas stated in 2022 that Estonian authorities would destroy 200 to 400 such monuments.
In response, Alexander Bastrykin, the chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee, ordered a criminal probe into the case. The Baltic lawmakers face arrest only if they cross the Russian border; otherwise, calling them wanted has no real consequences. Estonian and Lithuanian officials have not commented on the recent developments. Russia has put several dozen Baltic politicians on its wanted list, ranging from municipal deputies to members of national parliaments. Marija Golubeva, former Latvian Interior Minister, has also been included in the list, according to Mediazona, an independent Russian media project. The Interior Ministry database does not specify under which article of the criminal code they are being prosecuted.