Kremlin Critic Igor Strelkov Detained in Russia on ‘Extremism’ Charges

Russian law enforcement authorities have detained Igor Strelkov, a former FSB officer, ultra-patriot and Kremlin critic, on charges of "extremism," his wife has claimed.

His arrest took place around noon on July 21 when officers arrived at Strelkov's residence and apprehended him. His apartment is currently being searched.

According to initial information, the detention was carried out based on the request of a former employee of PMC Wagner, as reported by RBC, citing the sources familiar with the matter. 

Strelkov's wife, Miroslava Reginskaya, revealed that her husband is now facing charges of "extremism." 

She wrote in a post on Telegram: "Today, at about 11:30, representatives of the investigative committee came to us. I wasn't at home at the time. Soon, according to the concierge, they took my husband by the arms and took him away in an unknown direction.

“I found out from friends that my husband was charged under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (extremism).

“I don't know anything about my husband's whereabouts, he hasn't contacted me."

Igor Strelkov gained notoriety as a former FSB officer who had commanded pro-Russian combat units in eastern Ukraine since April 2014. During that time, he briefly served as the Minister of Defense of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) from May to August 2014.

In June 2019, the Public Prosecution Service of the Netherlands named him as one of four individuals involved in the downing of MH17. He was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by The Hague District Court in 2022

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Since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Strelkov has been actively commenting on the war's progress and has frequently voiced criticism towards the actions of the Russian leadership.

In one of his most recent posts Girkin urged Putin to hand over power to a successor.

"The country will not survive another six years of this cowardly mediocrity in power," he wrote on messaging app Telegram where he is followed by more than 800,000 people. Russia is set to hold a presidential election next year.