Poet living in Israel placed on Russian wanted list – he responded laconically

Russia's Interior Ministry has placed 64-year-old poet and journalist Sergei Leibgrad, a permanent resident of Israel, on its federal wanted list. The specific article of the Criminal Code is not indicated in the database. Leibgrad ironically quoted Pasternak. Earlier, in September 2026, the Russian Ministry of Justice added him to the register of "foreign agents" for distributing materials of foreign agents and his anti-war stance.

Russia's Interior Ministry has placed 64-year-old poet, publicist, and journalist Sergei Leibgrad, who permanently resides in Israel, on its federal wanted list. The specific article of the Criminal Code that led to the prosecution is not indicated in the official wanted database. Leibgrad himself reacted ironically to the news, quoting lines from Boris Pasternak: "What vile deed have I done, Am I a murderer and a villain?" Before leaving Russia in July 2022, he lived in Samara, managed local media outlets including "Echo of Moscow in Samara," and published 16 books. In early September 2026, the Russian Ministry of Justice added him to the register of "foreign agents," stating that he distributed materials of other foreign agents and opposed the war in Ukraine. Official data on the initiation of a criminal case and the incriminating article have not been published.