The Russian authorities they started an investigation against a journalist of the American television network CNN and two of his Ukrainian colleagues who were reporting from the region Kurskafter they “illegally” crossed the border from Ukraine.

The Russian Security Service (FSB) has announced that it has “opened a criminal investigation” against Nick Patton Walsh and Ukrainians Diana Butsko and Olesya Borovik for “illegally crossing the border”.

Nick Patton Walsh is a British citizen, according to the FSB.

The three journalists were reporting in the Russian town of Sunja, located about 10 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, which Kiev has said it has brought under its full control as part of military operations that began in early August in Russia’s Kursk region. .

The journalists, who are not in Russia, risk up to five years in prison, while the FSB has announced that it will soon issue an international warrant for their arrest.

In addition, on August 17, the Russian authorities launched a criminal investigation against two Italian journalists of the Italian state television network RAI, Stefania Battistini and Simone Traini, on the same charge.

Moscow summoned an American diplomat, Stephanie Holmes, to protest what it called the “provocative actions” of American journalists reporting in the Kursk region. The Italian ambassador to Russia, Cecilia Piccioni, was also protested.

On August 6, Ukraine launched an attack against the Russian Kursk region. Now Kiev says it controls 93 locations and more than 1,250 square kilometers of Russian territory.