Russia threatens life of Odesa journalist and ecologist Vladyslav Balinskyi

The Basmanny District Court of Moscow has put Odesa journalist and ecologist, editor-in-chief of the Green Leaf media, Vladyslav Balinskyi, on the international wanted list. This is not the first case of pressure on a Ukrainian journalist from the aggressor country, but the current situation has become particularly acute due to direct threats of physical liquidation on russian Telegram channels. The National Ecological Center of Ukraine (NECU) reported this on its website.

The Odesa journalist is a key witness in the cases of the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, the mass death of marine aquatic organisms, and the pollution of the Black Sea as a result of russian actions.

The persecution of the journalist began after he participated in the journalistic and analytical community Group of May 2, which was engaged in an independent investigation of the events of May 2, 2014, in Odesa and the refutation of russian propaganda.

“His scientific conclusions on the causes and course of the fire in the Odesa Trade Union House were included in the reports of the Advisory Panel of the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, which made him the target of prolonged information attacks from the russian rederation,” the National Ecological Center of Ukraine notes.

After 2022, the pressure intensified due to the documentation of war crimes and ecocide.

On January 29, 2026, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow held a hearing in the journalist’s case and put him on the international wanted list. In addition, threats of physical liquidation of Balinskyi appeared in russian Telegram channels, where he was openly called the “next target.”

“The threat to the life of Vladyslav Balinskyi is real, concrete, and urgent. His persecution is not a private story – it is part of the russian federation’s systemic policy to eliminate key witnesses to war crimes and ecocide. The protection of such people is not only a matter of personal security, but also a necessary condition for the preservation of evidence and the possibility of international justice,” the NECU stressed.

The organization called on the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine to take urgent measures to guarantee Balinskyi’s safety, and for international human rights organizations, the UN, the International Criminal Court, and EU bodies to document the case and provide legal, security, and advocacy support.

Yuliya Turovets

NUJU Information Service