Pro-War Blogger Polynkov Arrested in Moscow
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Pro-War Blogger Polynkov Arrested in Moscow
Mikhail Polynkov is a close associate of jailed ex-separatist commander Igor Girkin. He reportedly held a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry until August 2023. He was asked to resign after criticizing President Vladimir Putin.
Polynkov, a close associate of jailed ex-separatist commander Igor Girkin, runs the Telegram channel “Soldier’s Truth” and has been described in media reports as a recruiter of foreign fighters for pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
He reportedly held a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry until August 2023, when he was asked to resign after criticizing President Vladimir Putin. The ministry ultimately reassigned him to another unit that November, according to the news website RBC.
Federal Security Service (FSB) agents arrested Polynkov in Moscow and transferred him to a military investigative office, his lawyer said. He faces criminal charges of desertion, anonymous law enforcement sources told the state-run news agency TASS.
Source: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/06/18/pro-war-blogger-polynkov-arrested-in-moscow-a89491