Former defence secretary called for the West to ‘smash’ the 20km Kerch Bridge, which Moscow built to supply occupied Crimea
Sir Ben Wallace is one of about 200 Western politicians and civil servants that Moscow has issued arrest warrants for Credit: Stefan Rousseau
Associate Editor (Defence)
Dominic served for 23 years in the British Army with operational deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans and Northern Ireland. Originally a cavalry officer in The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards he later transferred to the Army Air Corps where he flew Gazelle helicopters.
Published 13 May 2026
Russia has issued an arrest warrant for Britain’s former defence secretary.
Moscow’s Basmanny district court sentenced Sir Ben Wallace in absentia on charges of “justifying terrorism”.
The warrant is said to be connected to comments Sir Ben made at the Warsaw Security Forum last September.
Speaking at the conference, Sir Ben said: “Putin is in love with the idea of dominating Ukraine, so we have to help Ukraine have the long-range capabilities to make Crimea unviable.
“We need to choke the life out of Crimea. We need to smash the Kerch Bridge, because that’s a statue to Putin’s ego.”
The 20km-long Kerch Bridge comprises a road and rail link from Russia to Crimea.
Russia built the bridge after its illegal annexation of Crimea at the start of 2014. Vladimir Putin personally opened the route to traffic in 2018 at the wheel of a construction lorry.
Russia’s foreign ministry said Sir Ben’s comments were an “incitement to terrorism”, with the Kremlin branding them “foolish”. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s press secretary, said Sir Ben’s words were “stupid”.
In October, a Russian State Duma politician called for police to issue a warrant for Sir Ben’s arrest, according to exiled news outlet Mediazona.
The following month, a Russian court ordered Sir Ben, who served as Britain’s defence chief from 2019 to 2023, to be placed in pre-trial detention in absentia, with the decree not publicly announced until now.
Russia has issued arrest warrants for nearly 200 Western politicians and civil servants.
When Sir Ben met Russia’s defence minister in February 2022, it was the first time a British defence minister had visited Moscow in more than two decades Credit: Ministry of Defence
The Kerch Bridge is the main logistics route supplying Russian forces occupying Crimea and has been targeted repeatedly by Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
On Oct 8, 2022, an explosion caused parts of the road bridge to collapse.
After it was reopened in May the next year, it was immediately bombed again, leading to the loss of another section.
In August the same year, the bridge was the target of a missile attack and only fully reopened in October 2023.
The most recent attack occurred in June last year, when a sea drone exploded near the support pillars.
Ukraine claimed responsibility for three of the four attacks. It is considered highly likely that the sea drone was also directed by Kyiv.
The Russian embassy in London was approached for comment.
The hypocrisy of these filthy genocide-loving Nazi scum is simply breathtaking.
Sir Ben; a straight-talking ex-military man, was a popular choice to head up Nato, but was blocked by Biden.
Comment from :
Hilary Deighton
That ‘s rich coming from a state defined by terrorism and which built the Kerch Bridge to another country without bothering to ask permission. It is long overdue being blown up. There is an arrest warrant out or for Vlad the Inv*daer for actual crimes. Suggesting that an illegal edifice should not still be standing is not a crime, nor anything resembling a crime. It is a necessary action which will be welcomed by the free world.
Erik Silva
I stand with Sir Ben Wallace! Smash the Kerch then smash Moscow and Putin.
Jeremy Buxton
Sir Ben Wallace should regard this pseudo-law prank from a neofascist criminal regime as a badge of honour.
GRAHAM REEVE
The Kremlin reaches a new low of hypocrisy. Terrorism is their primary strategy and has been for years.
Brian Corbett
I’m not sure why the bridge is still there. Perhaps Ukraine wants to leave it as an easy evacuation route for Russia when it all kicks off 🤔
Minotaur Bull
Reply to Brian Corbett
Ukraine have a bridge that has been built for them, once they reclaim Crimea.
But I agree with you, it would be better to just drop it, and limit Russia’s use.
GRAHAM REEVE
Reply to Brian Corbett
I can’t wait to see it fall… I know it’s irrational but for some reason I hate that bridge with a passion I never thought was even possible to feel towards a lifeless, inanimate object!
James McCorkindale
Wallace was quite right. The building of that bridge was an act of war.
Jon Ball
I’m proud of Ben Wallace.
Keep telling it as it is Ben.
Paul Davies
So if Ben or Putin go abroad who do you think is going to get arrested?
Trevor Smallwood
Reply to Paul Davies
It would have to go to Interpol I expect. The Russians almost got Sir Bill Browder in Spain before the war when Spanish police tried to execute an Interpol from Russia arrest warrant.
Matt Forster
A Russian arrest warrant is a badge of honour for any democratic politician. Kaja Kallas, the formidable EU foreign affairs commissioner, had a Russian arrest warrant issued when she was the PM of Estonia. Her ‘crime’ was that she had ordered the removal of monuments by the Soviet occupiers from all public places.
PAUL HASTY
Shut down the Russian Embassy and kick the orcs out.
Anony Mouse
It is time to issue an arrest warrant personally against Putin for approving the Salisbury poisonings.