CNN Journalist Faces Criminal Charges for Alleged Russian Border Crossing

Russian security service FSB has charged CNN journalist Nick Paton Walsh with illegally crossing the Russian border to report from the Kursk region following a Ukrainian incursion. CNN defends the legitimacy of the trip, citing international laws protecting journalistic activities. Ukraine's recent incursion marks the largest foreign intrusion into Russia since World War II.

Russia's FSB security service announced on Thursday it has initiated a criminal case against CNN journalist Nick Paton Walsh, alleging he illegally crossed the Russian border to cover a story in the Kursk region after a Ukrainian incursion.

Paton Walsh, a British national and CNN's chief international security correspondent, has been barred from entering Russia as part of Moscow's ongoing conflict with Western nations. Similar charges have been filed against Ukrainian journalists Diana Butsko and Olesya Borovik, with international arrest warrants expected soon.

CNN maintained that Paton Walsh's reporting trip was legitimate, emphasizing the network's commitment to balanced coverage and citing protections under the Geneva Convention and international law. This comes amid heightened tensions, with Moscow summoning diplomats from the U.S. and Italy over perceived provocations by journalists. Ukraine's invasion of Kursk represents the deepest military penetration into Russian territory since World War II.

(With inputs from agencies.)