Andrey Zatirko

Andrey Viktorovich Zatirko is a journalist and editor from Chita in Russia’s Trans-Baikal region. He spent a significant part of his career at the regional outlet Chita.ru, rising from reporter to editor. He later worked for independent media projects including Sirena and Agentstvo and also contributed to Vot Tak.

On December 15, 2023, Russia’s Justice Ministry designated Zatirko a “foreign agent.” Authorities later brought administrative cases against him over compliance with the associated labeling requirements.

In February 2025, Russia’s Interior Ministry placed Zatirko on a federal wanted list. The public wanted-person entry stated only that he was wanted “under an article of the Criminal Code” and did not identify the provision. In September 2025, a Russian court ordered his arrest in absentia.

Despite the arrest order, the exact criminal charge has still not been disclosed publicly. A current database maintained by the independent outlet Govorit NeMoskva likewise lists the relevant Criminal Code article as unknown.

Zatirko has said that he believes the prosecution may be connected to his investigative work, including an Agentstvo investigation concerning the private family of then Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov. This is Zatirko’s interpretation; Russian investigators have not publicly confirmed that link.