Asger Risom
Russia Targets Editor Who First Exposed Putin’s Plans for Ukraine
As Vladimir Putin intensifies his crackdown on independent journalism, Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against Galina Timchenko, editor-in-chief of Meduza—the Latvia-based outlet that was the first to report his plans to annex large swathes of Ukrainian territory.
Galina Timchenko, co-founder of Latvia-based Meduza, faces criminal charges in Russia after years of publishing inside revelations on Moscow’s war strategy—starting with Putin’s annexation ambitions in 2022.
A key voice silenced
Russia’s Investigative Committee announced the charges Tuesday, accusing Timchenko of organizing the activities of an “undesirable organization” and of inciting protest through video content. If convicted, she faces up to six years in prison.
The move comes more than two years after Meduza published a pivotal report—based on Kremlin sources—revealing that Putin aimed to claim full control over the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
At the time, the announcement shocked observers, as the invasion had been officially framed as a mission to protect Russian-speaking minorities in only two of these regions.
Putin would formally announce the annexation of all four territories on September 3, 2022, mere days after orchestrated referendums deemed illegitimate by most of the international community.
That revelation positioned Meduza as one of the most insightful watchdogs of Putin’s war cabinet.
Tightening the screws on dissent
According to HotNews, the charges against Timchenko follow years of targeted harassment. Already labeled a “foreign agent” by Moscow in 2023, she now joins a growing list of Russian nationals penalized for alleged subversion under sweeping post-2022 laws.
These include harsh penalties for “discrediting the military” or sharing “false” information about the war in Ukraine.
Russian access to Meduza was blocked in March 2022, just days after the invasion began, as part of a broader information crackdown that shuttered or censored dozens of independent media outlets.
Despite her exile and Latvia-based operations, Timchenko’s reporting has continued to reveal deep fractures within Putin’s administration.
Her latest legal persecution underscores how seriously the Kremlin takes Meduza’s ability to challenge its narrative—and how little room remains in Russia for independent journalism.