Russia Issues Arrest Warrant for Norwegian Ex-Politician

Russia has issued an arrest warrant for a former Norwegian politician who currently serves as a medic in the Ukrainian military, the state-run news agency TASSreported Tuesday, citing law enforcement agencies.

“Sandra Andersen Eira, a Norwegian woman from the International Legion of Ukraine, has been placed on an international wanted list as part of a criminal investigation into the participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict,” TASS’ source was quoted as saying.

Moscow’s Basmanny District Courtruled to place Eira in pre-trial detention in absentia for two months.

She is among nearly 400 people being sought as “foreign mercenaries” by Russia, according to an Interior Ministry database of wanted personsobtained by the independent news website Mediazona earlier this year.

Eira, who served in the representative body of the Sami people of Norway between 2017 and 2021,enlisted as a combat medic with the Ukrainian military shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.