Putin signs decree allowing him to deploy military abroad to “protect” Russian citizens

This new decree comes after 2023 International Criminal Court decision to issue an arrest warrant for the Russian dictator.

The new bill states that Putin may decree the deployment of Russian troops abroad, but fails to mention the specific mechanisms this “protection” will involve. It also does not specify the precise form the military intervention will take in these cases.

Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin earlier claimed that Western legal systems are allegedly being used as a tool of repression, and as such Russia must “protect” its own citizens abroad.

Before the law was adopted, deploying Russian forces abroad required approval from the Federation Council, which had already granted such authorization prior to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the publication recalled.

They added that some commentators are concerned the bill could expand Russia’s ability to deploy troops abroad, which they say increases the risk of direct confrontation with Western countries.

Russian citizens convicted abroad

Poland extradited Alexander Butyagin to Belarus on April 28 as part of a prisoner exchange. He was detained at a hotel in Warsaw on Dec. 11, 2025, while transiting through Poland en route from the Netherlands to the Balkans.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office placed Butyagin on a wanted list in November 2025. He is accused of conducting archaeological excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea since 2014 while serving as head of the ancient archaeology department at the Hermitage Museum. The charges include unauthorized excavations at the ancient city of Myrmekion in Kerch, which led to partial damage to the heritage site. His actions have incurred losses estimated at more than 200 million UAH (roughly $4.5 million).

The Warsaw District Court upheld Ukraine’s extradition request and approved Butyagin’s transfer in March 2026, though his defense was preparing an appeal.

Following Butyagin’s release on April 28, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said it would continue to use all available mechanisms to prosecute him in absentia for crimes against Ukrainian cultural heritage.