Russia to restrict access to websites of 15 EU media outlets

This is how Moscow responded to sanctions against Lenta, NewsFront, RuBaltic and other publications. A year earlier, Russian authorities blocked more than 80 European media outlets, including AFP and Politico

Russian authorities will restrict access to the websites of 15 publications from the European Union. The decision was made as a response to the blocking of Russian media sites, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

The websites of publications of "member states of the bloc that participate in the dissemination of false information" will be blocked, the Foreign Ministry reported. Their names were not specified.

The decision was made in response to EU sanctions under the 16th package, which included sanctions against the publications EADaily/Eurasia Daily, Fondsk, Lenta, NewsFront, RuBaltic, SouthFront, Strategic Culture Foundation and Krasnaya Zvezda.

A year earlier, RUSSIA restricted access to 81 European media outlets, including Politico, Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, El Pais, El Mundo, La Repubblica, Le Monde, AFP and others. The authorities thus responded to the closure of access to the EU to the RIA Novosti agency, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Russia also warned the United States of mirror measures against American media.

The American Embassy in Moscow, commenting on the situation with access to foreign publications in Russia, said that what is happening resembles a return to Soviet times. “The Russian authorities are cutting the country off from the outside world,” diplomats expressed concern.

Since February 2022, when fighting began in Ukraine , Russia has blocked hundreds of not only foreign but also Russian media outlets (with some resources being recognized as foreign agents and undesirable organizations), and has also restricted access to social networks and video hosting sites “for repeatedly posting false information of social significance.”

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