Sergei Mikhailov is the founder and columnist of the oldest Altai newspaper, Listok, and lives in the Altai Republic. He has a small child with his partner.

Sergei Mikhailov has been a journalist for many years, was elected as a deputy in Altai, and criticised the work of the authorities and law enforcement agencies both in this republic and at the federal level. Thus, there is reason to believe that an additional motive for the unlawful criminal prosecution was the desire of the Altai law enforcers to stop this criticism.

On 13 April 2022, Sergei was arrested by the police, who searched the editorial offices of the weekly Listok, confiscating documents and office equipment. Searches were also carried out at the homes of the newspaper's staff.

Sergei Mikhailov is accused of publishing on the Listok newspaper's Telegram channel what the Russian authorities consider to be 'untrue' information about the destruction by Russian troops of a maternity hospital and a theatre in Mariupol that killed civilians, as well as information about the killing of civilians by the Russian in Bucha.